Lost Causes
by LightPhyre
Summary: The King of Earth places his daughter under the highly-reputable protection of Lord Frieza and his men, so young Bulma suddenly finds herself in the care of a certain Saiyan Prince... And when the pair heads back to Earth, Bulma's parents demand that she choose a husband to be the future king... meanwhile, Frieza may be planning something extra for her and her "guardian angel"...
1. A New Assignment

**Chapter One** **: The New Assignment**

Vegeta was interrupted by the loud-speakers echo, bouncing around the training room, which he currently occupied.

"Get down here now, boy!" came the disgustingly familiar voice of Freiza, Vegeta's Lord, "I have a new job for you," His filthy laugh filled the room, and Vegeta covered his sensitive ears. He felt pathetic, having to listen to such a slimy bastard because he was more powerful than him. Freiza was the scum of the universe if Vegeta could call him out on it. But even if he said something Freiza didn't like, he would be punished, and Vegeta hated being punished. He used to tell himself that he deserved his punishments because he did something to deserve them. Later on, he tried to tell himself that the punishments would make him stronger if he endured them. Now that he was no longer a child, he just told himself that one day, he would be able to kill Freiza, and then he would punish _him_ … Vegeta style.

He grabbed his towel, dried off the sweat from his upper body, snatched his shirt of the rack, and stampeded down the hallway to Freiza's chambers, throwing it over his head as he walked. That disgusting pile of shit was going to pay for what he had done to the Saiyan Prince. He had destroyed his planet, murdered his father, and taken him in as a pet when he was only a boy. He trained him to destroy populations, to obey every order and command given to him by his senior officers. _Him_! A _Prince_! Taking orders from someone _else_! Oh, it made him want to bash Freiza's head into a bloody pulp!

He slammed open the doors to Freiza's main chamber and knocked over a few of the guards in his way, not really caring if they tried to hit him. Only a few special people on this planet could hurt him. They were Freiza, or course, his two right-hand men, Zarbon and Dodoria, and the Ginyu Force, who were probably on the other side of the planet by now. They were sent to kill a few meddlesome people in a different region of the planet. They would be back before dinner.

"What!" Vegeta snarled, looking directly at the lizard he was forced to call his Lord.

"Now, now, Vegeta. Is that any way to greet your master? I think you should leave and try it again. Go ahead. Go out that door, and then come back in and greet me properly."

"What do you _want_ , Freiza!" he snarled again, knowing that he was going to pay for not listening to a direct order from Freiza himself.

A large energy beam was shot out of a green hand to Vegeta's right, moving so fast that he didn't have enough time to dodge it. He was hit in the leg, knocking him down, his face coming extremely close to hitting the floor. He stood back up, prepared for a fight, but his better judgment told him to turn around and do as ordered, so he did. If he got beat up too much, then he wouldn't have enough energy to continue training when he was finished here. So, he ignored the laughing guards and made his way back the way he came. He slammed the door behind him and then turned around slowing his breathing. If he was going to do this without getting himself in any kind of trouble, he was going to have to hold his tongue.

He slowly opened the door for the second time and walked to the center of the room, where he paused to bow. Getting down on one knee he seethed (against his better judgment), "Yes, my Lord?"

"Now that's so much better! Isn't that better Zarbon?"

Vegeta glanced over at the laughing scumbag who hit him before and had to actually force himself not to go over there and throw a few punches at him. Besides, he knew he'd probably miss anyway. That was why he had to focus on doing this right. So he could get back to the training room so he could be able to fight off Zarbon one day, and he had a feeling it would be one day soon.

"That's a good boy, Vegeta," Freiza said, "Are you ready for your new assignment now? I hand-picked it, specifically for you. Aren't you exited?"

"Yes, my Lord," he said, wanting badly to add a few well thought-out remarks to the end of his 'ungrateful reply,' as Zarbon would have called it.

"You have a charge!" Freiza said, as if he was his father, getting a straight-A report card for him in the mail. It made Vegeta want to throw up at the high-pitched tone he used. "And I picked out a pretty girl so you two can play together in your spare time. Guards! Bring her in here!"

Great. A bodyguard assignment. It sure had been a while since he was assigned one of those. Vegeta always thought they were assignments for children. Even if Freiza knew Vegeta didn't like him much, it certainly didn't stop him from trying to dance on his nerves. And it usually worked, too.

It wasn't long before he got to see the pathetic excuse for a girl that was to be his charge for God knew how long. She was thrown to the floor in front of Vegeta as he straightened out, knowing that if he bowed any longer he would snap. And he didn't mean physically. He wondered why, if he was given an assignment to protect this pathetic ball of flesh, most of the guards were kicking her around on the floor. Was this a prank? Assignments were given because people, idiots in Vegeta's point of view, paid Freiza to have them done. If someone paid him to protect this girl, why was he allowing his guards to harm her? He knew why, because Freiza could do anything he wanted. If they didn't pay him, he would just kill them and take all their money. There was nothing anyone could do. Somewhere deep down inside of him, he felt a pang of pity for the girl. She was, in a way, just like him. Freiza could do anything he wanted with her, and she could do nothing about it.

Even though he had a pinch of pity for her, it wasn't nearly enough to distract him. He would just lock her up in the dungeons and go back to training. It's not like anyone would actually bother hurting a weakling like her. She wouldn't be worth anyone's time, especially his. The dungeons could do wonders for the weak. He figured he'd throw her in there for a few days with only bread and water. That ought to toughen her up a bit.

"Vegeta," Freiza's angry tone made everyone in the room but Zarbon and Vegeta jump, "I just told that this girl is your charge. What are you doing just standing there? Those fools are going to get you in big trouble with me if you continue to let her get hurt like that."

He had better be joking. This was really not the right time for this. Vegeta raised a single hand and the guards around the girl all jumped up. A few ran out of the room. Any who remained after two more seconds were hit with an energy blast, courtesy of Vegeta, and hit the tiled marble floor with a dead thud. Vegeta stomped over to the girl, who he noticed had unusual aqua colored hair. He looked at it for only a second before grabbing her arm and lifting her up. When she didn't stand after a few seconds, he lifted her off the ground and carried her out the door. He heard Freiza and Zarbon laughing behind him. This was a joke! They were mocking him! This entire assignment was one big embarrassment on his part. They wanted a good laugh, so they probably accepted the stupidest assignment they could find. What a disgusting figure he had lying over his shoulder. At least she didn't try to get away. Good. She knew her place. _There_ was one less thing she had to learn the hard way. It made his job a bit easier.

Vegeta made his way to the dungeons and opened one of the barred doors. He walked inside and tried to be gentle about rolling her off his shoulder onto the cement floor. It was cold, damp, and it held a load of bad memories, even a few familiar blood-stains on the floor, so he planned on getting out of there as fast as he was able to.

"You're just going to leave me here?" a quiet but firm voice asked. Vegeta turned to the aqua-haired girl and just nodded. Closing the barred door, the girl stood up to reveal that she was in fact, not a girl, but a young woman, about Vegeta's age. He couldn't help but notice the full shape of her. He would never admit it, but he was impressed. All that beating before, and not even a blood wound to show for it, either.

"Please don't leave me here all alone," she said, and Vegeta was repulsed by her open show of weakness. No true warrior ever showed any signs that they were afraid. Then he thought that maybe he was being a little harsh. After all, not everyone could be a Saiyan, like him, having the blood of elites run through their veins. She was just a fragile female, stuck in a dungeon.

As much as he hated doing it, he opened the barred door and turned to leave, figuring that if she didn't follow him, then she would just find her way back here and lock herself up for a few days. He hoped she wasn't that stupid, but one can only hope.

Vegeta didn't bother to see if she had followed him until a few minutes later when he arrived back at his training room. He pulled his shirt off and opened the door. He finally turned around to see that the girl had indeed followed him from the dungeons. He figured it was her turn to be impressed by the way she stared at the frame of his upper body. She may have been impressive for a female, but when it came to average males, he was well aware that he was off the charts, especially since he just pulled his baggy shirt off.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," he spat at her, turning back to the open doorway and stepping inside. Fully realizing that she would have to come inside, he considered going back and throwing her in the dungeons anyway. No one watched him train. Even Freiza knew that he hated to have people watch him when he did what he did to himself. Although, that didn't mean Freiza didn't come and watch him. Of course he did, when he felt like pissing him off. The horrible part about it though, was that it worked every time, no matter what precautions Vegeta tried to take. This was the only circumstance where he could never stop his blood from boiling over.

"What are we doing?" the aqua-haired female asked. Vegeta was starting to get annoyed by the sound of her voice alone. Add in her tone and what she was saying, and Vegeta felt like punching a wall, because he certainly wasn't allowed to punch his own charge. As much as he wanted to, he knew that he would get a beating of his own if he did, and he never felt like giving Freiza the satisfaction of remembering how much power he had over the Saiyan Prince.

" _We_ are not doing anything, woman. You, on the other hand, are going to leave me alone while I train. And make sure you stay out of trouble, because if you don't, _I_ get in trouble, and if I get in trouble, you'll have to face me after I've been… punished for _your_ actions. Plus, then you'll really be in trouble. With _me_ ; and I'm positive that that isn't something you want. Understand?"

The female just solemnly nodded her acknowledgement and understanding of what he had just told her. He seemed a bit overconfident with himself. She was just placed under Freiza's protection by her father, Dr. Briefs. He was the president of Capsule Corporation, the biggest enterprise on the planet where she came from, Earth.

This guy, Vegeta if she had heard correctly, was starting to dance on her nerves, and if she wasn't careful, she'd slip up, and her act would be blown. Her father had told her to act modest and innocent. In her point of view, she didn't need to _act_ these things, but she did as her father asked because he usually knew best. She had overheard her mother say that Freiza wasn't the great man everyone made him out to be, and she understood what she had meant ever since she got here. She was abused by every guard she came across, not to mention physically assaulted by the "great man" himself, that bastard. But she had done as her father asked, and went along with everything that had happened to her since she got here. And this guy, Vegeta, was the only person here who noticed her face instead of… well, everything else. He protected her from those guards back in the other room, and, even if he was being an asshole about it, he brought her along with him. So, she would agree with whatever he told her to do, as long as it wasn't something ridiculous. After all, that _was_ what a modest and innocent person would do, wasn't it?

"Good. Now go play with something. You'll be doing me a favor if you went down that hallway," he added, pointing to the left. The female nodded again and then turned to walk in the direction she was instructed to.

Vegeta wondered if she was going to be alright by herself. Not that he cared about her. He just didn't need to be interrupted while he was training again if he was to keep his temper under control. Plus, the guards did seem to take an interest in her. In her figure, that is, and if a low class guard got him in trouble, hell would feel like heaven compared to the ending he would give him.

Entering the training room and shutting the doors behind him, he still couldn't stop worrying about what would happen to the aqua-haired female. She was only a… actually, he didn't even know what species she was. Not that he cared. He really couldn't give two shits about her welfare, her personality, her whatever. She was only his charge. Nothing more. Something less.

It wasn't even that big of a deal. If only the guards would leave her alone for a few hours. That was all he would need to train. Then he'd find her a place to sleep… the dungeon was looking better and better by the second. Then, he thought about when he was given this assignment. Freiza had told him that the female was his charge, and sat there watching her get kicked around. Was that what his assignment really was? Was Freiza _trying_ to have him punished? Was his intent to have him fail at this, just so Freiza could laugh at him as Zarbon tore his arms off or something? Then he remembered what Freiza had told him _: "I just told that this girl is your charge. What are you doing just standing there? Those fools are going to get you in big trouble with me if you continue to let her get hurt like that."_

 _Damn_ , Vegeta thought, opening the training room doors and racing down the way he had instructed the female to go. His instincts had been dead on. When he rounded the second corner, there she was, huddled up against the wall, a guard over her, snickering, deciding what to do with her. _Not if I have anything to say about it,_ Vegeta thought, charging at him, _Sorry Freiza, but this isn't your lucky day, and it never will be._

The guard's head was severed and rolling across the hallway in no time at all. Vegeta noticed the female's face go white.

"Get up," he told her.

"T-Thank you."

"I thought I told you to get up, not thank me. I didn't do it for you anyway. If it wasn't my job to keep you from being raped by that idiot, I might have actually helped him do it. So get _up_!" This statement made the female's face go even whiter. Vegeta sighed. She still hadn't gotten up yet, and he certainly wasn't helping her do that. If she couldn't even stand up, he would rather be punished.

"I was just _thanking_ you!" the female backfired, her entire expression and attitude changing, taking Vegeta by surprise, although he would never show it. The female covered her mouth with both hands, then muffled, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Bipolar much?" Vegeta mumbled, and the female breathed, happy he didn't catch on to her acting scheme. If he knew, he was bound to tell Freiza, since he was one of his henchmen, wasn't he? Of course he was. And if Freiza found out, he was bound to tell her father. She didn't even know why her father had told her to act different. He only said it was for her safety. Why she couldn't act normal was a mystery to her, and why acting normal would jeopardize her safety was an even bigger mystery. She figured the answers would come eventually. Besides, modest and innocent girls didn't snoop around trying to find out all the answers. If she was supposed to know, someone would have told her by now.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated, finally standing up. Vegeta thanked the non-existent gods.

"Like I said. Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you. I couldn't care any less about what happens to you. It's just that something will happen to me if I let something happen to you. It's really just one big inconvenience." Now he couldn't even train because the guards were after his charge. Well, there was a small room for the medical supplies attached to the training room. He wondered if he could get the female to stay in there for a few hours. It was worth a shot.

"Follow me," he said, after a bit of thinking. She was going to stay in that room whether she liked it or not. He turned on his heel and headed back the way he came, listening to make sure the female was following him. This was going to be the biggest nuisance of an assignment he had ever had. Or, at least, that's what he believed at the time…


	2. Punishment

**Chapter Two: Punishment**

Bulma Briefs was the name of the aqua-haired female that was currently Vegeta's charge. Her parents had to go to a distant planet a couple days ago, and a few problems with their company, Capsule Corporation, were occurring at the exact same time. Unfortunately for Bulma, the people on their planet blamed her family for the problem, and, since her parents were going on a long trip, she was going to be the last person in her family on the planet… the only one left for the planet's inhabitants to be upset with. And that was an understatement. Besides, you'll find out what the problem had been sooner or later anyway.

So, because her parents didn't want any mobs or assassins coming after her while they weren't there, they had put her on the list for the highest protection available. Then Freiza had decided to take her in as his assignment, and Bulma guessed it was just because her parents said they would pay handsomely for the best bodyguard Freiza could come up with… and _this_ was what she got. An overconfident, self-centered jerk who couldn't give a damn about her safety at all, whatsoever. But even so, he had made sure she was safe so far, even if he did make it quite clear that he didn't like to do so. And he saved her from being beaten and raped. That was always a plus.

As he led her down the hallway, back the way she came, they arrived at the white room once again. Just this time, Vegeta opened the doors and walked inside. Bulma guessed he wanted her to follow after him, so that was what she did. Closing the doors behind her, she was led to another small door. Vegeta opened it to reveal a bunch of medical supplies. Bulma looked around, a bit excited. After all, she was an expert on medicine and mechanics, so this was like a dream come true. Even though the room was small, it probably held more medical supplies than her entire mansion acquired in a whole year. Then she stopped to wonder why a person would need this many supplies. They were mostly for life-threatening wounds, and there were needles and medications for knocking people out, for numbing, and even for quick deaths, if the pain was too much to bear any longer. Bulma wondered if Vegeta ever used anything in this room, but she couldn't wonder for long, because the door to the room was shut behind her. She whipped around, prepared to face the hot-headed male to find that he was gone. He had just left her in here! was she really that insignificant to him? Grr, it burned her up.

"Hey!" she yelled, "Let me out of here!" She knew that her temper was starting to come out, but she could've cared less at that point. There was no way in the _universe_ that she was just going to sit back and relax as someone locked her in a room for god knew how long! She was getting out whether anyone liked it or not. She was Bulma Briefs, the child _genius_ , and no one on her planet would _dare_ treat her like this… before the incident, that is.

Vegeta heard the female yelling behind the door to the medical room, but he didn't care. She wasn't getting out of there any time soon, and it wasn't like he could understand her muffled noises anyway. If only the door was a little thicker. Then he wouldn't be able to hear her at all. Oh well. He threw his shirt over the bar against the right wall and went over to turn on the gravity machine. He already wasted enough time playing around, so he decided to start the level on difficult. He hit the shiny red button to start the machine, and was happy when it made enough noise to cover up the noises from the surprisingly loud female in the adjacent room. Five bots rose into the air, warming up their systems and preparing to fire energy blasts at the only living thing in the room. Vegeta groaned as the gravity slowly went up to 100%. His body weight doubled, then tripled, until it was at the proper amount where he could just barely move a single muscle. And then, he started.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

This was _not_ the way that the heir to Capsule Corporation was to be treated! Bulma was glad no one could see her, otherwise her cover would have really been blown to bits. She was _fuming_. She wouldn't have been surprised if smoke started coming out of her ears and she turned bright red, illuminating the room.

She sat down on the wax paper on the bed for patients to think. She was the smartest teenager on her planet. Surely she would be able to think herself out of this situation. She got off the bed and went over to the panel on the wall. She removed the metal over it and looked at how it was configured. A red wire connected to the blue wire. The green wire connected to the purple wire. It wasn't that difficult. A red button and a blue button on the left. A yellow button on the right. Clearly the yellow button turned off the red wire, the red button turned off the purple wire, and the blue button… that was tricky. One plug was in an orange outlet, and another plug was in a black outlet. There was a white switch on the orange outlet, so that would be used to turn off the lights. Bulma knew very well that she needed the lights to work, so she wouldn't hit that one. Then, the only thing left for the blue button to do was stop the electricity from running to the black outlet, to make it safe for a person to unplug it.

She hit the blue button confidently and unplugged the plug in the black outlet. This turned off the lock to the door. She put the metal panel back on the wall and stood up, glad that her brains could come in handy. She went over to the door, grabbed the handle and turned it.

"Security breach," a high pitched voice said, echoing around the room, "System shut down. Gravity returning to normal. Automatic firing bots disengaged."

"What?!" Vegeta bellowed, storming over to the female. He was covered in shiny sweat. Bulma thought it made him look defined. It didn't make him look any less angry though. "What are you doing out here? I thought I locked you in that room! Why did you come out here?!"

"Listen. I don't know who you think you are, but I will not be treated like a slave. I am Bulma Briefs, heir to Capsule Corporation, and you will treat me as such!" Bulma ordered, but she didn't get the response she was hoping for. Vegeta started laughing at her. "What's so funny?!"

"Alright, _Bulma_ ," he said her name as if she was a little child, patronizing her, "I can tell you have absolutely no idea as to what your position is here, because it certainly isn't what it was on your home planet. Here, you are only a female, used by males for what females were created to do the only thing you are to anyone on this planet is a way to have a little pleasure. Unfortunately, it's my job to make sure nothing like that happens to you, so I'd advise not getting on my bad side, since I'm the only one on this planet who isn't going to do anything life-threatening to you. But I can always change my mind, you know. If you were wondering, to get back on my good side, you have to go back into that room and stay there until I tell you it's okay to come out." He finished his little rant by turning around. Bulma mentally laughed. He actually expected her to go back in that room. Like hell she was! He was going to have to learn that Bulma Briefs was not a person that you could just order around like a house maid.

"Listen here, _buddy_ ," she said firmly, walking fast and standing directly in front of him so he couldn't move forward. She put a finger to his chest and kept it there. "I think you need to learn your place. You have no right to tell me what to do. You are my bodyguard, which means that you do what I tell you to, not the other way around. Unless you want me to complain to Freiza that you aren't doing your job? Is that it?"

That was the last straw. This puny female, whom Vegeta could crush with one finger alone was _threatening_ him? There was no lower act than threatening someone, especially when it came to getting them in trouble with Freiza. Vegeta had had enough. He swiped the female's hand away from his chest with force that clearly showed that he could easily hurt her and grabbed her by the arm. Unexpectedly, she reached out with her other hand and grabbed for his hair. She made her mark and pulled.

"You little runt!" Vegeta called, letting go of her one arm and grabbing her by the waist with both his hands. He picked her up and threw her to the ground. She let out a yelp and let go of his hair. Vegeta then sat on top of her and held her arms above her head with one hand, and grabbed her neck with the other. Then, the strangest thing happened. Droplets of water cascaded down her cheeks and hit the floor beneath her head. So, she had a bark with no bite, Vegeta concluded. He let go of her neck as she sobbed. He sighed and stood up, getting off of her and letting go of her hands. He turned his back on her, but only to meet with a fist in his back. He laughed. The female was extremely weak, but he'd try his best to get in a little bit of training today.

He turned and grabbed her extended arm. He twisted it so her back faced him, and her arm was in a locked position. There was no possible way for her to escape his grip. If she tried to move, all he would have to do is pull and her arm would snap in half. He walked forward and, trying to avoid any necessary pain, Bulma walked with him until her face was pressed against the wall. Just for sport, Vegeta gave her arm a tiny pull and she yelped in surprise and pain. Vegeta just chuckled as she began to sob once again.

"Let me go!" she cried.

"Oh, I don't think so, Ms. Heir to Whatever-Corporation. This is only lesson number one. Don't threaten your superiors, especially me."

"You think pretty highly of yourself for being an idiotic brute."

"Idiotic? Who's the one pressed up against the wall here? I don't think it's me."

"I doubt you think at all."

All of a sudden, the loudspeaker came on and Freiza's annoyingly feminine voice rang throughout the room. "Vegeta. How's your new assignment coming along?"

"It's definitely more entertaining than thought I'd be—"

"Freiza!" Bulma cried. "Tell him to stop hurting me!"

Vegeta froze and instantly let go of the aqua-haired female. His face went rigid and he shook his head at her; but she didn't understand. She smiled at him. He shook his head again, more violently this time, but she still didn't get it. She just stood there, _smiling_ at him.

"Did you just say he was hurting you, Bulma?" Freiza asked, and Vegeta could tell he was hopeful.

"Yes," Bulma replied confidently, "He grabbed me by the arm and was trying to snap it in half. He even pushed me against the wall and threw me to the ground, grabbing my neck!"

Vegeta could almost feel the pain of his punishment coming rapidly closer. He understood the fact that the female didn't like what he had done to her, but she clearly didn't understand what she was allowing Freiza to do to him. He was going to take him and throw him in the dungeons for weeks if he wanted to. No food. No water. He's had that treatment before, and he didn't like it one bit. A Saiyan without food is an unhappy Saiyan. What Vegeta hoped wouldn't be his punishment was a few hours with Zarbon. He wasn't ready to face him yet and kill him. He would just be played with for hours. Sometimes he even wondered if he'd live to see the next day of his life. Sometimes he wondered if he was already dead.

"No," he whispered to the female. "Cut it out." He refused to beg, because that was for dogs. He refused to apologize, because that meant that you were admitting you did something wrong, and she deserved what she got. He was thinking about threatening her, but that wouldn't get him anywhere. He could bribe her, but she was so self-absorbed that it wouldn't matter at this point anymore. He was screwed and he knew it. It was all over. There was nothing he could do anymore.

"Bulma," came Freiza's disgusting voice again, "Come down to the lobby for a while. Vegeta, go down to the dungeons. Dodoria will meet you there." And then the loud-speaker was turned off.

"You _idiot_!" Vegeta yelled, "Do you have any idea of what you've just done!"

"I've given you what you deserve. I told you that you shouldn't treat me that way. You brought this on yourself. Don't blame me."

"I wasn't talking about what will happen to _me_ , woman! I was talking about what's going to happen to _you_! Freiza just asked you to go to the lobby. First off, that's never a good sign. Second, he told me to go to the dungeons, which is in the complete opposite direction. You'll probably get lost and attacked on the way there, and I'll be down in the dungeons, unable to help your pathetic self. So you've just screwed yourself over as well as me!"

"I don't remember you saying that you wanted to help me anyway, so what's the difference?"

"What's the _difference_? Well, I don't know. One, you won't be attacked, raped, assaulted, or killed if I'm there. Second, even if I don't like it, I still have to do it!"

"Whatever," she replied, turning to head for the lobby.

"Fine," Vegeta said, going in the direction of the dungeons. Neither of them turned around, but Vegeta found himself worrying about her safety, and it wasn't because he feared what would happen to him. He tried his best to push the thoughts of the female aside, but it soon became an impossible task. Nevertheless, he managed to make it to the dungeons without turning around.

"Hey there, Vegeta," the sound of Dodoria, Freiza's third in command, rang in Vegeta's ears like bombs about to explode. Especially since they both knew what was coming. And yet, even though he was expecting to be in a tremendous amount of pain by the end of the day, he couldn't stop worrying about the stupid female. He couldn't understand what the problem was. Nothing in his entire life ever bothered him this much. Even the death of his father, of his entire planet, caused him to worry less than this. It was the single most annoying thing he had ever felt. What was going on?!

"Shut up, you oversized piece of cotton candy," Vegeta spat, seeing as Dodoria was, in fact, big and pink. Although he had spikes on his arms and a pink exterior, Vegeta knew very well that Dodoria could probably kill him if they fought in their current states. This was all that little brat's fault anyway! She was the one who got him in this mess. God, now he wouldn't even be able to train for at least a few days. Why was he so worried about her when she was the cause of his future pain. It wasn't like it wasn't all her fault… was it? Vegeta shook the thought away. Of course it was all her fault! What was he thinking? That it was _his_ fault? Like hell it was.

"Oh, you'll pay for that one. You should really start to be a little nicer to the person who is about to give you your punishment for the day."

"And why is that? You have a low self- esteem today?"

"Not quite. Here. I'll show you exactly what I mean." Dodoria grabbed Vegeta by his arm and threw him against the ground. Vegeta felt a bit stupid for not expecting it, but he felt even stupider when he didn't expect Dodoria to lift him up and throw him into one of the dungeon's barred doors. He hit the stone floor and felt a drop of blood trickle down his face. He figured the wound was from above his right eye, since that was where he had been hit by the key sticking out of the lock on the door he was thrown into. He wasn't going to be taken by surprise again. He grabbed Dodoria's oncoming fist before it collided with his face, and grabbed his other arm at the second attempt to hit his stomach. He knew he would only make him angrier by the time he was out of energy, but he always got a good laugh or two in before he collapsed.

"So, Vegeta? Been working out a little more than usual? Well, too bad it can't help you. You'll never be as powerful as me."

Vegeta growled under his breath and Dodoria ripped one of his arms out of Vegeta's grasp. He took a hard swing that collided with the side of his head, making a pulse jerk throughout Vegeta's head, then travel down his neck and spine. Knowing that he couldn't prevent the inevitable, he just let go of Dodoria's second arm and fell to the cold and wet floor.

"So? Finally learned your place, eh?" Dodoria laughed, and took another hard swing at Vegeta, which landed in the square of his back. He coughed up blood. Dodoria picked him up and shoved him against the framework of one of the cells. He could feel each metal rod as it was forced deeper and deeper into the skin on his back. He looked up at that pink bastard, making sure he locked eyes with him. Then, he smiled. His punishment had begun.


	3. Actions Speak Words

**Chapter Three: Actions Speak Words**

Vegeta woke up to find himself on a bed. His entire body ached with the previous days… _activities_. He didn't remember exactly when he had passed out, but it wasn't soon enough in his point of view. He could still feel the imprints of Dodoria's fists all over his body. He had been ruthless, obviously under direction from Freiza. Why were they doing this to him? It was _not_ like it wasn't in their characters, because it most certainly was. It was just that Freiza had never been this persistent before. He had never given him punishments worse than the one he just had.

"Ugh," he groaned with the pain flowing throughout his entire being as he tried to sit up.

"What do you think you're doing?!" a high pitched voice squealed from the other side of the room he currently occupied. He turned his head (painfully, if he hadn't made that quite clear already) to find that the aqua-haired female was in the room with him. She had a needle in her hands. It looked as if she was cleaning it… after use. Vegeta forced his head in an uncomfortable position to look at his mangled body. He was covered in bandages and there was a bit of drying blood where he guessed the female had just stuck him with the needle she was holding. "You can't get out of bed now! You're in terrible shape!"

"No thanks to you," he mumbled, and he noticed the female's face fall ever so slightly. "Regretting what you did?" he asked spitefully, making her face fall even more. Her expression faltered, and Vegeta thought he saw her begin to cry as she turned back to whatever she had been doing before. Cleaning the needle or something along those lines, he guessed. A part of him felt a little bad about what he just said, but he made himself believe that she deserved a little bit of pain for all the abuse _he_ suffered. "So," he began, hoping she wouldn't be seriously affected by his comment, "What happened to you while I was… in the dungeons?"

"Oh," she said, sniffling, making it obvious that she was holding back tears. Why would she cry, anyway. It wasn't like she actually had a reason to be upset. It wasn't as if she felt bad. It wasn't like she cared about what happened to him…? Vegeta looked once more at the way his body had been covered in wrapping, and cloth was over most of his bad-looking wounds. He then took a glance at the needle that was leaning against the edge of the sink next to where the female was standing. He looked back up at her face as she continued. "Nothing really. Freiza just talked about a few of his previous assignments…"

"Were you afraid?" he asked, and his honest tone took Bulma by surprise.

"Not too much," she replied, but Vegeta could tell she was lying. He wondered if she was injured at all. He tried to shake the thoughts away, realizing that he was giving her welfare way too much though once again. He really had to stop doing that. Well, first he had to figure out how.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked, taking another glace at his covered wounds. The biggest gash was along his stomach and chest, where one of Dodoria's spikes had stuck. He hadn't remembered the last time he bled like _that_. But now it was covered by two layers of medical cloth. He hoped the aqua-haired female knew what she was doing.

"I'm making sure you don't bleed to death, you idiot," she said sympathetically, walking over to him. She lifted one of the cloths on the side of his stomach, and he pulled away from her, making himself flinch with the pain moving brought on. "Don't be stupid. I think you've already proven that I can't hurt you no matter how hard I try. Besides, I wouldn't _want_ to hurt you. You're supposed to be protecting me, and I don't think you can do a very good job like this. So, for now, you'll have to settle for just lying there and not moving unless I tell you it's okay."

Vegeta just grunted and closed his eyes, making it obvious that he probably couldn't go anywhere even if he wanted to. Even if his _life_ depended on it.

"How did I get here?" he asked, his eyes still closed.

"What? You walked here. I helped you. Remember?"

"No. I passed out before. I couldn't have stood up, let alone walked all the way here."

"You don't remember? You weren't very coherent, but you weren't passed out. You really don't remember this? I found you in the hallway and I helped you get here… you're joking right? Stop playing around. Of course you remember." Her statement came out more like a question and Vegeta wondered why there was a little bit of embarrassment in her tone. He just shook his head as his response, and he noticed more pink color enter the female's face.

"What happened?" he asked, the curiosity getting the better of him.

"I just told you what happened. I was on my way back to the training room when Freiza told me it was okay to leave when I saw you… you were… bloody. Extremely bloody. It scared me, and I was about to turn around, but you asked for my help. I remembered all the medical supplies in this room, so I helped you get here. As soon as your head hit that bed, you were out like a light."

Vegeta knew she was leaving something out, but didn't push for an answer. It wasn't like he actually cared, right? "How long have I been in here?"

"It's been about eleven hours," she told him, checking the clock on the wall above the door.

He was going to ask her if she had been here the entire eleven hours, but his loudly growling stomach interrupted him. Not to mention the fact that he probably wouldn't have done it anyway.

"You're hungry," she stated, "Hold on. I'll go get you something. Where are the kitchens?" she added, remembering that she wasn't familiar with the area.

"I'll be fine," he said, stopping her in her tracks. Even if his stomach disagreed with him, he wasn't sending her out there where she would be alone. He realized he was caring about her welfare again, so he dropped the thought completely.

"Are you sure? That sounded like a pretty hungry stomach if I've ever heard one."

"Stop pestering me, woman. Just get this over with so I can move without someone's help again."

Bulma sighed and turned around to grab a thick cloth that she had left on the counter a few minutes before Vegeta had woken up. She came back over to him and reached for the cloth over the big gash over the front of his upper body. Vegeta jumped.

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you," she said confidently. Vegeta didn't relax, but Bulma reached for the cloth once again. When her hand gently grabbed a loose part of the strip, Vegeta tensed his body for an intense amount of pain. Bulma peeled the cloth off his skin just in time. If she had waited another couple minutes, it would have stuck to the dried blood, and then it really would have been painful for Vegeta when she tried to take it off his wound.

He flinched at the pain he expected, but didn't feel any extra from what he had felt already. Such as the strain in his muscles or the pulsing over the gash on his right leg. He looked up at the female, then down at the gash over his body. A flap of skin was covering the deepness of the incision, but he could see the red of the blood underneath because the layer of skin was thin, so it was see-through, and some was leaking out the sides of where the slash had already tried to heal itself. Luckily, he was a Saiyan, and Saiyans healed fast. Well, faster than most other people he knew, that is.

It was normal for most people to want to turn away from the sight that placed itself on Vegeta's body, but he watch the female carefully and expertly place an ointment on the new cloth, then place it over the gash, pushing slightly so it wound stay in place. Then, she turned and grabbed a fresh wrap and placed the beginning of it on one side of his stomach.

"Alright. I know it might hurt, but you need to sit up for a minute or two while I put this around you. It'll help the cloth stay in place. Here, I'll help you." Then she reached for his left arm. She held onto it, expecting him to try to get up, but he didn't. "Come on. You need to help out here. If you don't, I could hurt you."

"There's absolutely no way you're getting me to sit up without a fight, woman," he said, a bit of a threat in his voice.

"Cut it out. Let's go. Up, now." She put his arm over her shoulders and acted as if she were going to pull him up. He still didn't move, but then he sighed and lifted himself up, using her for support as he tried not to yelp. The pain was tremendous, but he couldn't help but think that it was worth it, considering how willingly close the female was to him. When he reached a sitting position, he grinded his teeth together, flinching at the slightest of movements. Then, without warning, the female's arms were around him.

"What in hell's name are you doing, woman?! Get off me!"

The aqua-haired female pulled back, but had a puzzled expression on her face. She obviously hadn't expected him to have that response, which only proved to make Vegeta's anxiousness rise.

"I was putting the wrap over your bandage so it wound stay there…?"

Vegeta crossed his arms, ignoring the pain it brought.

"What did you _think_ I was doing? _Attacking_ you?" She laughed at the thought. But, seeing as what she was doing was quite clear, she made a second attempt. Vegeta didn't move his arms from their crossed position over his bare chest as Bulma put her arms back around him to grab the wrapping from behind. When she reached the end of the roll, she reached for a piece of water proof medical tape, but couldn't reach it from where she was standing. "Could you hold this here?" she asked, and Vegeta took the wrapping with a frown. Of course he didn't mind her arms around him, it was just his usual stubborn attitude, getting in the way.

Bulma walked over to the counter and grabbed the tape. She came back over to her impatient… patient… and instructed him to hold the wrap as she taped it down.

"You can lay back down now if you want," she told him, "I just need to fix up that wound on your leg." She pointed to the burn-looking wound on his right leg. It wasn't an actual open slice, but more like a thousand little scratches, made by mini-knives. They barely got past his skin, but it was big, red, and definitely painful… something he certainly wouldn't want his 'charge-gone-nurse' going near. It was rug-burn, intensified by over nine thousand! (he he…)

Just then, a loud knock came from the door, scaring Bulma and making her drop the tube of… whatever it was. It hit the tiled floor with a sound that was blocked out by the knocking from the door.

"What the hell do you want?!" Vegeta snarled, confident that it wasn't Freiza.

The door handle wiggled, and the door was opened to reveal Gurd, a small, four-eyed, green freak that Vegeta learned to despise over the years. But, he was also one of the five members of the Ginyu Force, which meant that they were back from their assignment. He should have known. He had been out for so long that he lost track of time. How long had he been down in the dungeons? He was passed out in this room for eleven hours, so said the aqua-haired female that was currently looking down at the pint-sized rat that had just entered the room.

"Ah, Vegeta," he said. Even his voice was slimy. Vegeta shivered at the disgustingness Gurd brought with him everywhere he went. Damn, and he had been having such a peaceful day, too. What a waste. "I see you've been having a little fun while we were gone," he prodded, looking at Bulma.

 _How_ dare _he_ , Vegeta thought. How dare that piece of shit lay his filthy eyes on _his_ charge! Vegeta wanted to kill him.

"Get out of my sight, you nauseating maggot," he growled.

"Now, now, Vegeta. I don't think you're in _any_ shape to be giving anyone orders around here. I mean, just look at yourself. What, has Zarbon been so hard on you lately that now you need a puny girl to take care of you?"

"Puny?" Bulma asked, taken aback, "Excuse me, but I'm not puny. Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately, or couldn't you reach?"

Vegeta was impressed by the female's reaction, but she could easily get herself in trouble with Gurd's temper. Most of his characteristics were just like his appearance, which gave him slimy thoughts, an ugly attitude, and an extremely _short_ temper.

"Well, I guess Freiza was right about you, Vegeta," Gurd said, thankfully ignoring the aqua-haired female's remark on his size. Vegeta wondered what could possibly be on his mind to make him so intent on telling him something. "He told all of us that you were trouble form the start. From when he killed your weakling of a father, and took you in out of the goodness of his heart."

Now, Vegeta wondered why the tiny, round imbecile was trying to make him angry. Bringing his father up wasn't the ideal thing to do to get him angry. He barely had any time to get to know his father before Freiza murdered him, so it wasn't really a touchy subject for him in the slightest way. Besides, if Gurd really wanted to see him angry, he'd comply eventually. Gurd was no match for him. Nothing like Dodoria or Zarbon. All Gurd could do was freeze time for a few seconds or so, and Vegeta would be damned if he hadn't already come up with a defense against that.

"Now," Gurd continued, "You should do well to watch your back. Master Freiza has made a nice plan for you and your little friend here," he said, pointing his thumb at Bulma. That made him want to tear Gurd's head from the rest of his body. In fact…

In a split second, before Gurd had time to react and freeze time, Vegeta was up and had his hand around the slimy insect's throat. In another moment, within the same second, the tiny head was rolling across the floor. It stopped when it hit Bulma's foot. She went to jump away, but Vegeta had grabbed her arm and was pulling her towards the exit.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, trying to loosen his grip.

"Stop squirming, woman. It hurts enough having to walk. Besides, you heard what that pest just said. Freiza has a nice little plan for you and I. Well, I'm sure he'll be happy when he finds that we're gone, and one of his precious Ginyu Force members is dead. We have to be out of here before someone finds that body and sets off the alarm. Come on," he said, tugging her harder, "The space pods are down this way. Hurry up."

Even though his expression hid it very well, Bulma could tell from looking into his black eyes that he was hurting. Physically. She blamed herself for that. If only she had hurried up with fixing his wounds.

"Stop stalling and run, woman!" Vegeta barked at her. Stupid female. She was moving extremely slow, and he was tired of it. They had to get out of that station, maybe even get off the planet if they could manage it. If Freiza was planning to kill him, he knew, as cowardly as it was, that he had to run away. There was no possible way for him to survive, let alone the breakable female running, sluggishly in his point of view, behind him. They couldn't even hide from Freiza because of his scouters. He wondered if it would be worth it to try and destroy them all before they left, but it would only be a waste of time. There were so many of them, and if he missed even one, they would be able to use it to find them eventually. Plus, it would take way too long, and time was something he couldn't just throw away. Currently, time and timing was everything.

"Stop calling me "woman"! My name is Bulma. Bulma Briefs—"

"Sorry, but I really don't give a fuck right now!" he exploded. She was worried about what he _called_ her at a time like this?! What was wrong with that female? Did she have a death wish or something? First of all, Vegeta was sprinting down the hallway with a body covered in freshly bleeding gashes and bruises, which he hadn't realized until now that he was leaving a trail of blood behind his every footstep. Second, he had no idea his body could produce that much pain without somebody beating on him. And third, the loss of so much blood was making him very faint. If he fainted, all was lost. His life. The aqua-haired— B-whatever's, life. (he mentally corrected himself.) Any hopes of getting back at Freiza for destroying the planet he was supposed to rule right about now. He was of age, and he was the Prince of a dead species. That was the biggest insult added to injury. Injury was killing his father. He didn't remember the King very well, but he remembered being upset about it when he heard the news as a young boy. When Freiza told him that his planet had blown up by accident. A few days later he had found his father's mangle corpse shoved in a closet. One of the guards caught him seeing it and told their "Lord," that fucked up lizard. Ever since then he never gave his father a second thought. Only the rage he felt towards Freiza was allowed to enter his mind. Then he met this female, with her aqua-colored hair… her impressive form… her respectful temper… and her utterly annoying tendency to NOT RUN FAST!

Vegeta, fed up with her slowness, grabbed her by her upper arm and yanked her towards him, still running. All he had on was a tight pair of blue spandex, which made every muscle in his legs very defined, not to mention another specific area… he noticed the female blush, but it certainly made her run faster, which was his goal. After another half a minute, Vegeta saw the space pods up ahead. He sprinted ahead of the female to prepare them before she got there. He stopped short in front of the control panel and hit the two buttons to launch the only two pods stationed there. Luckily, there were enough. He didn't know what he would have done if there weren't any pods at this station. He would have had to take his chances and run another half a mile to the next pod station.

"What the?!" Vegeta paused, startled by a loud beep from the control panel. One of the pods was refusing to come out of its metal socket. It was stuck.

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked, finally catching up to him, out of breath.

And then, the alarms went off.


	4. Departure

**Chapter Four: Departure**

The loud ringing pierced Vegeta's ears like lightning aimed at his brain. The alarms had just gone off, and one of the fucking pods was stuck. Now of all times! It could have been any other time in the entire world, but _no_! It had to screw with him now, when his life depended on it _not_ being stuck!

"You worthless piece of shit!" Vegeta yelled, kneeing the underside of the control panel. It sent a burst of pain shooting up his leg, but he tried his best to ignore it. Bulma thought she saw a couple sparks fly from the metal where Vegeta had hit it. Then, she began eyeing up the contraption.

"Hold on," she said, pushing him away. His throat involuntarily let out a low growl when she accidently hit one of his many bruises. "Maybe I can fix it. Reverse the process and start over. Maybe that will make it a little looser than this time. Maybe it just hasn't been used in a while."

As Bulma checked the mechanics of the program, Vegeta turned to see if anyone was coming down the hallway. If the alarms went off, it meant that someone had seen Gurd's body. _Or his head_ , Vegeta unemotionally laughed to himself. If that was the case, then Freiza would probably already know what was going on, and would have his henchmen scouring the entire building already.

"Whatever you're doing, woman. _Do it faster_!" he commanded, knowing that they couldn't be here for more than a minute… at the most.

"I'm trying, but it's not responding. This extension cord's plug should be the source of power that starts the process to prepare the pods for launch, and I just unplugged it. I don't understand why it hasn't gone back to its original position. Maybe turning off the power only shut it off. In that case I need to find a different source of power that would reverse what already been done."

"I don't give a damn about what you have to do! Just get it working!"

"There! I think I found it!"

"There they are! Get 'em!"

Vegeta whipped around to quickly fire five energy blasts out of his palm. One for each guard running toward the two of them.

"Got it!" Bulma yelled to him. She could tell that the alarm was going to be vibrating in her ears long after the sound itself was gone.

The stuck pod released itself and came back to its original launching position. The next thing Bulma knew, she was lifted into the air and swiftly carried to the first pod. Vegeta slammed the door in front of her and went over to hit the shiny red button once again. Then he quickly jumped into the second pod and shut the door. Bulma felt her pod move and wondered if she was already moving. The pod was more comfortable than she thought it'd be, and the ride was much smoother.

Vegeta was just glad that his pod didn't get stuck again. Why he put the female in the safe pod was beyond him. Obviously, his life was more important than hers. He had things in his life that needed to be accomplished, and she was just a… he still didn't know what species she was. He concluded that it was just the alarm and the time limit. He didn't care which pod he put her in, and which one he took; he definitely didn't do it because he would rather save her life over his. Hah! What a stupid thought. That would be the day…

"Vegeta?" Bulma voice rang in his ears like… like a rusted machine gun going off. (He he…)

"What!" he barked back through the com-link between the two pods _. She couldn't have disengaged_ that _while she was at the control panel_ , Vegeta asked himself.

"Vegeta, I can program where we're going from here. Where do you think we should go?"

 _Damn_ , he thought. He had given her the pod that controlled both of them. Now he knew that he was really out of his mind.

"Just pick a planet and go there. I really don't care right about now."

"Could we go to my planet? I have defenses there that are trained for planetary invasions. We would be safe there."

 _Yeah, right_ , Vegeta thought, _We're only safe in_ hell _if Freiza's searching for us_.

"Whatever. I told you already. I don't give a damn where we go. Just pick a planet and go there!"

"But…"

"What now!"

"The people on my planet are still mad at my family and our company, and my parents won't be back for at least another couple weeks or so."

"Are you forgetting who I am, woman? You think any of your puny men can hurt me?"

"Well… you're injuries are pretty severe—"

"And yet I still managed to run faster than you?"

"I just don't want you getting any more hurt than you already are. Besides, I have a few bodyguards back at home as well."

"What? Am I not good enough for you?" he asked sarcastically.

"No. It's not that. You seem pretty confident in yourself," she replied with the same sarcastic voice, mocking his tone. He rolled his eyes, even though he knew that she couldn't see him.

"What poor unfortunate planet do you occupy anyway?"

"Earth," she replied, ignoring his remark.

"You're an _Earthling_? Now that I think about it, it really isn't that surprising."

"Why would that be, Mr. Smart-Ass?"

"You're weak. You're fragile. You can't take a hit. It's really all just common sense you know."

"Oh, really? So then, which idiotic and hypocritical planet were _you_ born on?"

If looks could kill, and Bulma could see Vegeta's heated glare, it would have hit her hard at how she had just offended him. His planet could become a bit touchy after a while. Plus, it wasn't a subject he particularly liked to discuss, especially with this female over a com-link while he was shoved into a tiny pod. He was going to be able to see her arrive at her planet, at here home, and see how she reacted when she arrived there. Home was a place that he would never be able to return to anymore. He would never be referred to as Prince Vegeta, no thanks to that slimy lizard, Freiza. Populations would never look to him for guidance. No one would ever ask him what their orders were. All his future held thus far was training to kill Dodoria, more training to kill Zarbon, and more training to eventually kill Freiza. Other than those necessities, he had this female (great…), escaping from Freiza's men (even greater…), and probably having to kill the Ginyu Force, since they were Freiza's main assassination team (that was the greatest of all three…). So, he was screwed until he trained enough to kill at least the Ginyu Force.

"I would prefer it if you left my planet out of this," he stated abruptly, but the aqua-haired female might as well have been blonde, because she didn't get the message.

"Come on. Don't be shy. What planet are you from?"

"Vegeta."

"What?"

"You heard me!"

"Your planet's name is the same as yours? Why? Are you important?"

 _Am I important, she asks_ , Vegeta laughed without any humor in his thoughts, _what a stupid question to ask._ If he hadn't lost his planet, he could guarantee that every puny _Earthling_ would know just how _important_ he was. But she didn't, and all it meant was another low blow to his ego.

"Not really," he answered. What did it matter anymore? It's not like he was a real Prince anymore. The only thing he was a Prince over was the empty dust that now floated where his planet once stood. The female didn't need to know. All it would bring was a whole new round of questions, and all he wanted right now was a little piece and quiet. Maybe just a rest from her annoyingly unstoppable voice through the com-link. Not that com-links were a bad thing. The only bad thing about it was that you couldn't shut the person up who was talking from the opposite pod. He could always break the system, but there was no guarantee that the pod's main power would fail, and he wasn't exactly in the mood to die just yet. He had some stuff to do before then.

"Oh. Well, it shouldn't take that long to get to my home planet. The trip here was only about half an hour long, and we've been in here for about ten minutes."

Oh boy, another twenty minutes of the female's endless, useless, and brain-damaging rambling. If only he could just shut her up for that time. He knew it was useless to try, but he couldn't help but think about the nice quiet atmosphere that he had experienced before he even got the stupid assignment. Real nice, huh? He had a charge for about a day, and now his life was being threatened. Wonderful. Just purely wonderful.

The rest of the trip was Bulma talking about her family and friends and all the things Vegeta didn't care enough to actually listen to. But Bulma couldn't see him, so he was free to close his eyes and imagine himself sleeping in a nice _quiet_ room.

"My mother is a blonde, but don't think of her as dumb because she is far from it. When I was just a little girl, she could tell if I was lying, if I was unhappy, if I was angry or sad or upset or embarrassed. She could always tell what everyone was thinking. It used to scare me a bit, but now I understand that she's only that way because she cares about everyone. She's always taking everyone's feelings into consideration. Now, my father on the other hand, well you'll just have to meet him yourself and judge him then, because my dad is certainly one of a kind. I think you'll like him. He likes all sorts of things. One of them being…"

And blah, blah, blah. _Didn't she ever stop to take a breath every few minutes?_ Vegeta wondered, his eyes still closed. How could one person fit that much useless shit in their head at one time? And he doubted she didn't have a lot more where the first round came from. He idly wondered if the pod came with earplugs.

"Right?... Vegeta? Are you listening to me?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I am,' he replied quickly, his eyes shooting open at the sound of his name.

"No you weren't."

"Of course I was listening, woman! What else could I possibly be _doing_ in here?!" he retorted, and was glad his evasion and manipulation tactics were still in perfect shape, despite the fact that he wasn't. Physically, that is.

"Alright. Whatever. It's not like I care anyway."

"What are you blabbering about now?"

"See! You haven't been listening to me!"

"Fine. You're right. I was clearly not listening to you. Why? Because all you're saying is a bunch of worthless information that I am guaranteed to not use at any point in time during my lifespan."

"Yeah, well I was talking about the people who mean the world to me because I'm happy to be going home. The least you could do is pretend to care. Even just a little."

"Are you deaf? The first thing I told you was that I was listening! If you just dropped it _there_ , then we wouldn't be _here_!"

"But you didn't have to be a jerk about it! I was telling you about my family, and my friends that I've known since I was a little girl—"

"Once again, I don't care. If you have something to say, say to those important people when we land. Not me!"

"Fine then!" Bulma yelled, and flung her hand out to the side. It collided with the side of the pod, hitting the structures for the controls of the direction of the ship. Vegeta felt a tug on his pod.

"What did you just do?" he asked cautiously. He had heard some noise that represented something being broken, and he was scared to find out exactly what it was.

"Oh, no. I hit the controls for piloting. We're headed for some planet to our left. Do these things land automatically or do I have to do it manually?"

"Automatic! Why don't you fix it!"

"We're already in the planet's atmosphere. It wouldn't be safe to pull out now. We'll just have to land and then take off again. Don't worry. This is my field of work. I know what I'm doing."

The pods began to spiral with the planet's high gravity, and Vegeta could feel the heat of the atmosphere's first layers burning the outside of the pod. They were only made for a few trips. Five or six maybe. He wondered how many the two pods they currently occupied had taken already. He hoped it was only a couple. If he had to be stuck on whatever planet they were headed for with the babbling female, he would probably kill himself before Freiza would even get the opportunity.

All of a sudden, Vegeta heard a loud thump, and he was bounced around a bit, indicating that they had hit the planet's surface. He hoped he wouldn't be exposed to water as soon as the door opened. He wasn't in the mood to get wet.

"There," he heard the female's voice from the other end of the com-link, " Now that wasn't so bad, was it? I pretty good at this stuff. I told you that you didn't have to worry, didn't I? I had everything under control."

The door to Vegeta's pod slowly opened to reveal a long stretch of dry land. Thank the non-existent gods! He stepped out and looked around. The aqua-haired female was just getting out of her pod to look around when she fell over and hit the ground with a louder noise than what Vegeta thought it should have been. Ignoring her pitifulness, he continued to look around. The entire planet looked like one big desert from where he was standing. The only noticeable thing was a huge cliff to their left. If he looked up, Vegeta could barely see the top of it. It looked like it reached the clouds.

He looked back over to his once-charge, and saw that she was still on the ground. Becoming a little anxious, he attempted to stroll over to her. It didn't work. By the time he was a few yards away, he found himself running to her side. He figured it was just the assignment getting to his head. His brain probably thought that he still had to look after her… or something like that.

"Get up, woman! What do you think you're doing!" he tested.

"I can't stand up," she replied weakly," I don't know what's wrong with me, but I feel so heavy. Everything hurts."

Vegeta lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging on him like a sack of potatoes _. It's probably the gravity_ , he thought. Of course his body wouldn't register the change. He was used to training in higher gravities, what with Freiza's special training room and all. This planet's gravity must have been lower than what he trained in because, otherwise, he would have felt the difference.

Bulma felt herself slipping, and when her arms fell from around Vegeta, he caught her around her waist.

"Don't be idiotic, woman," he stated flatly, and Bulma was glad he didn't notice the extra redness in her face. Now that she was so close to him, she could see his features clearly in the planet's profound and exceptional sunlight. She could see how the mature features on his face complemented his sturdy upper body, which still didn't have a shirt to cover it, and his normal expression that showed that everything came naturally to him. His upper body was indeed… supportive… and Bulma could feel his heartbeat. It made her hold her breath just so she could hear it louder. She let it fill her head and the impulses flowed throughout her body like a wildfire. Standing there, being held by him against his bare chest, Bulma could see how confident he looked in his usual stance, as he was looking around at the planet's surface. His beautiful dark, shadowy eyes seemed to always be hiding something, and his spiked hair looked as ordinary as a bird, flying through the air. Well, on her planet, at least. She couldn't help but stare at how perfect he looked. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. She scolded herself mentally. She certainly should have. His radiance was more powerful than the sun. His gravitational pull seemed to grab her and drag her closer to him.

"Woman," she could hear him calling her. "Woman," she heard it again, but it sounded a bit harsher. "Woman, what are you staring at!"

"Huh?" Bulma shook her head back and forth, clearing her head. Or, trying to anyway.

"What's wrong with you! Is the planet's extra gravity making your brain a little too heavy for you?"

 _Good_ , Bulma thought, elated that he had noticed only _what_ she had been staring at, and not with how much intensity and passion in her eyes. If he had caught on, Bulma knew she wouldn't have been able to keep herself from fainting. Especially since there was no possible way for him to feel the same way for her…

"Are you even listening to me, woman?" Vegeta asked, and Bulma thought she detected a hint of concern in his voice. "What wrong with you? Are you… okay?" He asked the last question with a bit of anger in his tone.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry about that. This place's heat must be getting to my head." Bulma replied, and she thought she heard him make a noise that resemble the word 'weak,' or something along those lines.

"Now, we, or more like you, need to fix our pods so we can leave this deserted place."

"Fix them? What's wrong with them?"

Vegeta paused. Wait… _She didn't even know?_ … They were doomed.

"The pods don't just go on their own! They need to be launched, you moron! They can't just fly away!"

"Oh. Well, don't get so uptight. I remember telling you who I am, so I don't see your reason for worrying. I can fix virtually anything."

"Virtually," he mumbled, and Bulma had to strain to hear him.

"It's okay. I think I can figure this out. The pods need to be launched to give themselves a kind of boost. So, the reason for that is to have the effect of gravity, just having the pod move in the opposite direction. If we can get it moving towards to sky at a high enough velocity, then it would be fine, but another way is to have the same exact effects, just in the opposite direction. Then, all we would need is enough space to maneuver it away from the ground before an impact, which I can do, no problem."

"… English please."

"Ugh. Okay, you see that hill over there?"

Bulma pointed behind him, and Vegeta turned around to find that she was pointing directly at the cliff he had seen beforehand. He turned back to the female.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"All we have to do is get the pods up there, drop them off the cliff with us inside, and maneuver ourselves into the atmosphere before we hit the ground."

"When you say "we", I'm guessing you don't plan on involving yourself, do you?"

"Of course I'll help out. Why would you have to ask."

"Well, first of all, you can't even stand on your own," he said, motioning to her seemingly heavy form in his arms, "Second, I'm the only one here who's strong enough to carry the pods all the way up there, even if you were in your planet's gravity and I was in one hundred times more than this planet's. and third, we have a problem."

"Wait... What?"

"You can't expect me to carry two pods, their weight increased by the gravity anyway, while I'm like this. Plus, then I would have to carry you as well, since you're absolutely no help at all whatsoever. Plus, how far does it look to get to the cliff there?"

"It really doesn't look that far to me…"

"Well that's great, because you're forgetting all about the fact that it's at least a mile tall, and I wouldn't be able to carry all three of the similar worthless things I would have to."

Bulma mind registered six comebacks for the insult Vegeta had just thrown at her, but each on resulted in him being able to blame her for his injuries. And, the sad part was, it actually was her fault. She felt horrible about what she had caused him to go through. So, instead of a nasty remark to him, she apologized.

"Listen, Vegeta. I… I'm sorry."

"What?" Vegeta asked, puzzled, but careful not to show it.

"You know… for you being hurt before. I know it was my fault and… I'm—"

"Shut up."

"W-What?"

"I told you to shut up."

"I just apologized to you and you're telling me to shut up?!"

"That's right."

Bulma raised her eyebrows at him, speechless… well, not for long.

"You've got some nerve! You know that? You just stand there, acting all smart and important, and then, when I try to tell you that I'm sorry for what I did, you tell me to _shut up_?! What's wrong with you? Is there something unbalanced in your head? And plus, that's not even the worst part of all of this! The worst part is that you think so highly of yourself, then, when I give you a way to get off this hellhole of a planet, you tell me that you're too weak to carry everything! Even after you stand there acting so cool and whatnot! Then, you tell me I'm worthless! You told me I was of absolutely no help, which I still can't believe! I was the one who got the pods working back at Freiza's station! I was the one who helped you when you were in the hallway (Vegeta still didn't know exactly what had gone on back there.)! I was the one who came up with the idea on how to get off this planet! I was the one who patched up all your wounds, incisions, slices, gashes, cuts, scrapes, bruises, abrasions, burns, _whatever_ while you were out cold for eleven hours straight!"

Vegeta just stood there scowling at her. She was still in his arms, but it was evident that he was extremely grumpy because of her little rant at him. Bulma admitted to herself that she was a bit frightened, but she would never outwardly show it. Then, all of a sudden, she hit the ground hard. He had dropped her! What an asshole! What a fucking _asshole_!

"Hmph," he snorted turning away from her," in response to all those wonderful things you did," he began, his voice dripping with so much sarcasm, that Bulma thought he might actually drown in it. "First, you said that you were the one who got the pods working back at the station. Well, I wouldn't have had to leave if you hadn't gotten there in the first place. Second, you said that you helped me in the hallway. Do you remember _why_ I was in that hallway? Third, you said you were the one who came up with the idea on how to get off this planet. If I recall correctly, it was you who hit something you weren't supposed to and got us stuck here in the first place because of your never ending stupidity. And finally, you said that you fixed my injuries for eleven hours… don't even get me started on this. It's your fault that I was savagely beaten, almost to my death if I might add. I'll just leave that topic at that point if I may." His back still turned to her still form on the ground, he walked over to the pods and picked them up, straining his already torn muscles. He growled when he swung them over his shoulders, the pain increasing, leaving him with an even greater hatred for the useless female behind him.

"Vegeta?" Bulma cried softly, her face in the sand. She couldn't even lift herself up to look at him, so she couldn't tell if he had heard her or not. Her tears left dark spots in the sand, and the trails that were left on her cheeks were already hit with a gust of sand, which stuck to her wet skin.

"I'm going to put these at the top of the cliff," he muttered, indicating the pods, even though Bulma couldn't look up to see them, "On my way, I'm going to decide if you're worth coming back for."

And then he walked off into the distance.


	5. Escaping the Inevitable

**Chapter Five: Evasion of the Inevitable**

Bulma laid there, face first in the sand as it entered her mouth and invaded her eyes. She couldn't even lift her hand to wipe the sand away. They stung like a bitch, and they refused to stop watering for a split second. The sand was everywhere, especially now that the wind was picking up. There was sand in her shoes, rubbing like sandpaper against her feet. It was down her shirt, in between her breasts, making the experience that much more uncomfortable. It was down her pants, making it _that_ much more uncomfortable. And it sucked because she couldn't do anything about it.

Bulma had lost all hope of survival and waited impatiently for death to come to her. It had been about an hour since Vegeta had left her. Life to her now was just a burden. She had stopped crying after thinking about her family. Her mother and her father, whom she would never see their smiling faces ever again. They would never be able to tell her how proud they were of all her accomplishments. She was, after all, the genius of her generation. No wait, scratch that. She _had_ _been_ the genius of her generation. Now, she was going to die. Slowly. Painfully. Her throat already burned with dehydration. Her body felt like a steel brick. She couldn't move. If she could find the power, the will, to move, then maybe… but no. she had tried everything before. There was no one on this planet. No one to save her. Vegeta might have left already. He could have decided that she wasn't worth saving.

He had been right. Everything was her fault. She was the reason why Freiza had come up with the plan to kill him in the first place. She felt like shit. She felt _worse_ than shit. She was the reason why he was in such bad shape. She had been so focused on getting back at him for playing around with her that she told Freiza… an exaggerated truth and she felt horrible about it. Strangely, all she wanted before she died was for Vegeta to understand how sorry she was. That was all she wanted. Nothing more. That was all…

Now that she was at the end of her life, she began to ask herself the questions she would have never thought about before. First, is there a God? Bulma had never believed in a God and her current position just proved that none existed. The idea of a God and an afterlife was just a fool's belief in his own fantasy. A made up world man created to trick their minds into believing that they would be rewarded for their good deeds, whatever they believed those were. In Bulma's point of view, religion was made by the people who had no life or friends. The outcasts. They felt bad for themselves, so they made up the idea of an afterlife, where they would be equal with everyone else. Yeah right. Fat chance. If you couldn't make it down here, you're not going to be instantly popular when you die. That was just stupid. You can't fool reality with the beauty of fantasies and desires. Reality cannot be fooled. Reality is reality, and no mere mortal could ever change that.

The second question was expected. Had she done everything in her life that she wanted to? Did she tell everyone what she would have wanted to tell them before she dies? The answer was an obvious NO. The last time she had seen her parents was only a few days ago. She had said goodbye to them, but now she wished she had hugged them and kissed them and told them how much she loved them. How much they've affected her life. How proud she was to be their child. How much she cared about her mother's senseless ranting about Bulma's own feelings, even when she told her that she hated it when her mother pretended to know everything about her. She wanted to see her mother one last time and tell her that she was sorry for ever hurting her feelings, and that she was quite certain that her mother in fact _did_ know everything about her. Her mother was the only person in the world that she ever felt she could go to if she needed help or advice and Bulma knew that she had told her mom almost everything.

Her father… wow. She loved her father dearly, and always told him how much she loved him. That made her feel even worse about how she left her mother. Her father had always been her idol in life. He was the one person who could always make her smile. If she was sad, angry, embarrassed, unhappy, nervous, or any other emotion of the rainbow, her father could make her happy. He was the sunshine of every day. Even when it was raining outside. He would always be in the lab, working on some new experiment or whatnot, and she would love to go see what he was building or what inventions he had screwed up most recently. Bulma laughed at the memories, getting a mouthful of sand down her throat. She began coughing violently, and then she threw up. And again…and again.

And again…and again. Then she dry heaved. Then she did it again… and again. The tears started pouring down her face again. Her throat was burning. The weight of her head was giving her a migraine. She felt dizzy in the heat of the open sunlight, which seemed to be directed only at her. She tried to open her eyes, only to be faced with another round of sand being carried by a gust of wind. She sobbed and called out for her parents. She called out for help from anyone who could hear her… she could barely hear her own voice. A mouse probably couldn't have heard her if it was standing right next to her.

Her despair was growing. She felt the weight of hopelessness making her even heavier. Pushing her farther into the sand. After her death, she would be covered by the blowing sand, if she wasn't already. She couldn't even open her eyes to be able to tell. Her body might be found by another species later on.

She tried to spit out the taste of her throw up, but it didn't work, it stuck like the sand to the roof of her dry mouth. Some got stuck below her nose so she could smell it. It burned her nose. The only thing she could think about was how desperately thirsty she was. She tried to push the thought away, knowing that she'd never get any. She would _die_ because she wouldn't get any. So she tried her best to focus on the final question that passed through her mind…

Did she love Vegeta?

It was just the single fact that she was about to die that made the thought cross her mind. It would have never gotten past her unconscious mind if she wasn't dying a painful death. But yet, it did come forward and when she presented herself with the question, she didn't know how to respond to it. Part of her was infatuated with him, that was for sure. He was a sexy beast if she'd ever seen one. But at first, that was her answer: he had good looks, but he had left her here to die. She was in so much pain now because of him. But then again, he had been in this much pain, maybe even more, when she told Freiza… she didn't want to think about that right now _. Focus on the question_ , she told herself, getting back to her private thoughts. Even though he had left her here to die, she felt she deserved it, and Vegeta probably did too. That was the only logical explanation for him leaving her here.

Why couldn't he have just killed her then? Why make her suffer so much like this? Was it her payment? Was this _her_ punishment?

She tried to say his name, but all that came out of her parted lips was a hoarse squeak. After that, she felt as if she'd ran ten miles. Her heart began beating faster and her breathing tried to quicken but was stopped short every time. This was it. Her last moments to live, and she was trying to figure out whether or not she loved Vegeta? What was love anyway? It was when you cared about someone to the point where you appreciate their company, where you're fond and enthusiastic about them. When you have a deep affection for someone which goes farther than just the infatuation level. Love for the opposite sex also included strong sexual desires. She could say that she wouldn't have minded sleeping with him if she got to know him a little better. She was dying. She was allowed to tell a sin or two. But did she feel a deep affection for him? She tried to look past his charming looks and his expressive appearance, but she couldn't come up with anything but lust for his body, not for his personality. In her views, his personality was worse than that of a bull with a red bag glued to its eyes so they would never see anything but red ever again. She wasn't exactly fond or enthusiastic about his company. They always seemed to end up in an argument, no matter how innocent the beginning of their conversation was. But then again, she did decide to help him. And that one time in the hallway… he claimed to not have remembered, and if he truly wasn't all there, it would have explained his… nice attitude toward her.

She sucked in a breath, but then realized that none would come. Her lungs screamed at her for air, but for some reason she couldn't fathom, they wouldn't take it. It was as if it was poison. Her lungs began to squeeze tightly shut. Everything went numb. She could no longer feel any pain. Her lips formed a tight line. Was this what it felt like to die? Everything pauses for a couple moments in time, saving them especially for you, and then you just… cease to exist anymore?

For the non-existing God's sake! Why couldn't her heart just give her the answer before she died! And then, as if in response, it did. And the answer was yes.

She loved Vegeta.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Vegeta paused before the giant cliff. It sure was a long way up. His muscle ached just looking at it. If only he had enough energy to fly. But that earlier beating took more out of him than he thought it ever could have. Climbing was hard enough, but _flying_? Yeah, right.

He put the two pods on the ground and sat down next to them to think. What he had done to Bulma was cruel. Even he could tell that. But, of course he would return for her. As annoying as she was…

He looked behind him, remembering the last thing he told her. He had been a bit harsh. He wasn't that thickheaded. He knew he gave her the coldest response he could think of and he knew she took it just as that: a cold harsh response. He wondered if she actually thought he wouldn't return for her. He wondered what she would be feeling. A lot of hatred toward him, he guessed, standing back up. _Good. Let her lay there hating my guts_ , he thought, _It'll be good for her._

He picked the pods back up and swung them back over his shoulders. It wasn't like he could have actually taken her and the pods at the same time. Yeah, and a broken rib cage to go with his main course. If they were going to get off this planet, he wasn't going to risk taking chances. The pods first, Bulma second. If he wasn't angry with her, it would have been Bulma and one pod, then bring Bulma back and take Bulma and the second pod. Worst comes to worst, they would just have to squeeze inside one pod. That would be uncomfortable and irritating. For him at least. He'd _make_ it uncomfortable for her. Maybe it would keep her from talking.

He slowed down when he realized he was climbing up the cliff way too fast. He had to reassure himself that Bulma would be alright on her own for a little while. If he rushed and dropped one of these pods, or worse, dropped himself, there would be no hope for her. He had to slow down to ensure her safety, not speed up. He had only been gone for about ten minutes. At this rate, he would be back within forty minutes, at the most. For being as injured as he was, climbing this efficiently came as a surprise to him, which usually never happened when it came to his own physical or mental strength. Maybe it had increased? But what caused it…?

He shoved the thought aside and continued climbing. It was still a long way up, but at this rate he would be back before she knew it. When they had first landed here, he hadn't sensed any other life besides them on the planet. He hadn't even sensed animals. This wasn't a planet. It was a wasteland. Nothing would ever live in such an environment. It was intensely hot. There were no clouds to block the sun, and that meant that there was no rain. No rain meant no water and a planet without water was a dead planet. If you didn't have a way off you would most certainly die. The thought made Vegeta squeeze the pods even tighter. He didn't want to lose them.

The wind started picking up, and Vegeta knew that if he didn't hurry, Bulma would be covered. It was convenient that she couldn't move from the position he left her in. if he had to go on a search for her, they would be wasting valuable time, and Freiza was probably already on his way. If not, then he definitely would have sent someone after them by now. If the Ginyu Force arrived on this planet, they wouldn't even have to kill them. All they would have to do is destroy their pods and then they wouldn't be able to leave. Both he and Bulma would die from the lack of water.

Finally, Vegeta reached the top of the cliff and hoisted himself up and over the top of the precipice. He threw the pods over his head; not hard enough to break them of course. He sat down next to the pods to rest for a minute or two and catch his breath, then stood back up and walked to the edge. Flying would have been a really big help right about now. He could be back to Bulma in a matter of a couple minutes or less. He sighed and began the climb down the cliff. He figured he's just get it over with. The sooner he got to rest the better.

The wind started to speed up, more than it had been at least, and Vegeta's worry started to rise. The sand could easily suffocate the female since she couldn't move from her position on the ground. Vegeta increased his speed a little.

By the time he reached the bottom of the cliff again he was breathing heavy. He cursed himself for being so weak. Then, feeling something he was hoping he wouldn't have to feel for a long time, he whipped around and looked up. A big cloud of smoke followed a loud bang. Vegeta's heart raced. The smoke was coming from around the same place he had left the pods…

The heat was getting to him. He couldn't make his brain register what he had just seen. Not thinking straight, he started to climb back up the cliff. It would take him another ten minutes or so to reach the top again, but the only thing his mind registered was the simple fact that he had to get to those pods. He had to keep them from any harm.

The feeling that Vegeta was hoping wouldn't come to him was the sense that there was another life on the planet. And this sense was coming from on top of the cliff. If it was one of Freiza's henchmen and they were carrying a weapon with them, it wouldn't be hard for them to dispose of the pods fairly quickly. The thought made Vegeta pick up his pace.

A few minutes later, he reached the top and saw the exact picture he didn't want to see. Right before him was a scene of destruction. Scraps for two blown up pods were spread out before his eyes. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but this was no trick. The only way off this shithole of a planet was destroyed, gone, ripped from his hands. They were trapped…

Then, as if a bolt of lightning struck him, his mind refocused and the sense of another presence shot him from the left. He turned to it and saw the henchman he had been expecting… and he had a pod! Vegeta instantly, his survival instincts kicking in, shot a burst of energy from his hand and swiftly disposed of the ill-advised henchman. Any idiot who agreed to go after the Prince of all Saiyans was bound to die.

He raced over to the henchman's pod, despite the pain that was running through the arm he had used to fire the energy blast, and the gash across his front was bleeding through the bandage and the wrap. He quickly inspected the pod to find that it was fully functional. Then, another thought invaded his mind and made him jump up. The female was still alone, and the wind was even worse now. If he didn't get to her soon, she was sure to be suffocated by the sand covering her. He tried to find the energy to fly, but he didn't have it in him. So, again, he began climbing back down the cliff. The only positive thing about this was that he now knew where all the footholds were, so it would take a shorter amount of time than the last. He just hoped it was enough.

Reaching the bottom, he sprinted through the sand and looked around for her. If she had already been buried, then there would be an extremely low percentage of him finding her. But, like a spark about to be ignited, he saw a flash of blue. Running to the abnormal color, he found it to be the familiar aqua-colored hair of the female. He grabbed through the sand to find her arm and lifted her up, dumping a lot of sand off her body. His heart pounded through his chest. Her entire head had been covered and her eyes were shut. Feeling her neck for a pulse and finding one, his heart began to slow down a little. He picked her up in his arms and cradled her fragile body against his chest as he began to run again. The pain from her weight against his bleeding gash was extreme, but he tried his best to ignore it.

Reaching the bottom of the cliff once again, he looked up, inspecting the climb that would be one of the most willingly painful things he would ever do. _Hang in there_ , he found himself thinking, as he put his foot in the first open place he could find. He climbed slowly, only being able to use his arms and hands in specific places and trying his best not to push when the female was placed between his grip and the hard, sharp stone. He knew that if he slipped even slightly, the rocks could easily scrape the female's skin from her bones. Although he felt she was protected and secure in his arms, he knew that one slip-up could change that exceedingly fast.

When his eyes could finally see over the top of the precipice he found that here would be some difficulty getting up and over the top without his arms. He pushed the aqua-haired female over the top edge to free his arms, then hoisted himself up to sit for a second next to her. He stood back up, lifted her off the ground and walked over to the pod. Opening the door, he placed her inside. He heavily sighed when he realized that they would have to be in the same pod. His unconscious mind took back the wish that she wouldn't be able to talk.

Remembering what she had instructed before all this happened he grabbed the pod by the door and swung it off the edge of the cliff. Then, quickly, he jumped off the edge, following it down. He pointed his body to pick up speed and landed inside as planned. He hastily slammed the door shut and reached for the control. Luckily he had been trained to use the controls for Freiza's pods, otherwise he was sure they'd both be dead.

Vegeta maneuvered the pod to head for the planet's atmosphere. Breaking through it, he sat back. The enclosed space with the female was a bit uncomfortable. Her arm was laying over the gash on his front, making him flinch every now and again. He tried to move her off of him, but her limp body refused to move the ways he wanted them to; and he didn't want to injure her, so her was afraid to push too hard on one of her limbs. The pods were made for one person and one person only. Vegeta promised himself that he would never do this again… with anybody. Although, he couldn't deny the fact that, the female touching almost every part of his body, even though it _was_ without her knowledge, was physically arousing… naturally. He looked down at her face to see dried streams of water where sand was still on her. She had been crying? He felt bad. She had either been feeling extremely upset or extremely afraid before she passed out. She had probably thought that she was going to die. He shivered at the amount of talking she would have to give him when she woke up. She would be furious with him. He idly wondered if he would be able to survive that amount of talking. Especially coming from her.

He turned back to the controls and searched for the planet known as Earth. He found it and plugged in the coordinates. Lucky for the female, it was only a few minutes away. The thought that they could have died back on that planet implanted itself in his mind once again. Now, the thought that they were only a few minutes from the female's home planet helped it develop. Her population wouldn't even know that could rescue her, and _he_ would die with her because of their incompetence.

"You are now arriving on the planet's surface," a high pitched computer-voice said, echoing around the pod and bouncing around inside Vegeta's ears. He felt for the female's pulse on her wrist again, just to make sure she was still there. Finding it, he waited for the blue light to go on, indicating that the pod's door was unlocked and could be opened safely.

The blue light lit up and Vegeta pushed on the handle, slowly opening the door. He stepped out, holding the female in his arms and looked around.

He was surrounded by a crowd of pointing and staring people.

"It… It's the heir to Capsule Corporation," one of the males in the front said, "She's returned to us…"

Then, like a wave, all the Earthlings dropped to their knees and bowed.


	6. Guardian Angel

**Chapter Six: Guardian Angel**

"She should be awake any time now. I just came back from her room. She looks almost back to normal."

"Are you sure Chichi? She looked pretty bad when we found her. "

"Don't worry, Goku. Bulma's going to be just fine. She's gotten through worse than this. You remember…?"

"Yeah. I remember. She was just a kid when she was almost killed. I doubt she'd remember something like that. Plus, now it's happening all over again. I'm surprised she got here safely, considering the shape that she's already in. That guy must have been pretty intimidating for no one to at least try to do something harmful to her. He carried her all the way from the other side of Satan City."

"What happened to him anyway?"

"I don't know. He just dropped Bulma off here and then he was gone. I didn't see where he went, but he was all bloodied up. I wonder what happened to the both of them."

"Please don't start throwing questions at her as soon as she wakes up. She's going to need rest more than anything. Anyway, did you get to ask that guy who brought her here what happened? Or where they came from, because last we heard from Freiza was that she had left the station with someone, which I'm guessing was that guy. An assumption I'm making is that Bulma was that man's charge. He seemed to do a shitty job of keeping her safe, though."

"At least she's back in our care. Nappa, Tien and Radditz will be happy to hear that. They won't let her out of their sights for a split second. Especially now that the population is going all crazy on the Corporation."

"Yeah, of course."

"I think I hear her in the other room. She might be awake."

"You stay out here. I'll go check on her."

"Sure thing," Goku replied, standing guard at the door. The major thing that puzzled him was the fact that the guy who had brought Bulma home seemed to not want any help from them. He distinctly remembered offering to call someone to treat the guy's wounds, but he had just scowled at him and walked out of the building. That had been over 24 hours ago. No one had seen him since then.

Chichi walked inside Bulma's room to see if she was awake yet.

"Bulma, ma'am? Are you feeling any better? We've had our top nurses and doctors getting you back to perfect health. You should be able to walk any time now, and you should be able to get back to your normal life in a day or so."

"Chichi? Is that really you?" Bulma asked her maid, opening one eye.

"Yes. Of course it's me."

"I thought… I thought I was going to die. But he came back… Chichi, where is he?" There was a hint of urgency in her voice.

"Where is who, ma'am? You mean the man who brought you here?"

"Yes. His name is Vegeta. Where is he?"

"I don't know," Chichi replied, not wanting to offend Bulma in any way. That's usually how it worked around the company building. Every employee here knew that Mr. Briefs would fire anyone who didn't give the utmost respect to his daughter. "He left as soon as he dropped you off here, at your home."

"I'm in Capsule Corporation? How did he know how to get me here?"

"I'm not sure. He probably asked around."

"You don't know where he went?" Bulma asked, the urgency a little more obvious now.

"No, ma'am. No one has seen him since he was last here."

"How long ago was that?"

"It was about a day ago. You've been here, in this bed for that long. It was a little strange though. The man—"

"Vegeta," Bulma corrected her maid.

"Pardon my mistake, ma'am. Vegeta wouldn't let anyone go near you until you were in this bed. Then, our doctors and nurses crowded around and he was gone. He just left."

"Do you think he'll be back? Did he say anything?"

"I don't know if he will return, ma'am. He didn't say anything to me."

"I want a search part out looking for him. If anyone finds him, tell them to be extremely proper, as if they were talking to me… he's a little hostile. Just have them explain to him that I want to see him. He's also badly injured, so he might take even a single movement as a threat." Seeing a hint of fear in Chichi's eyes, Bulma added, "I just don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Of course. I'll go get someone to send a few people out to look for him," Chichi replied, turning and walking out the door. Bulma sat up, which took some effort. Why would he just up and leave? He had saved her life. Did he want to leave so he could be alone for a day or two, or did he never want to see her again? That thought pierced her heart like an arrow.

Bulma was extremely happy to wake up in her room, knowing very well that she had a high possibility of dying the previous day. She felt silly that she thought Vegeta wouldn't come back for her, but then she remembered the pain… all the short breaths… she thought she would never see her family again… and… she had admitted that she was in love with Vegeta… Why would he have let her suffer like that? The thought that he might have wanted to do that to her caused a tear to run down the side of her face. She quickly wiped it away. If anyone that was currently around her saw it, they would think she was in pain, and Bulma wasn't in the mood for a bunch of tests for no goddamn reason.

She decided that she would go looking for him whenever she could get out of her home without someone yelling at her. She hoped he would just come back before then, but one can only hope…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The next day, Bulma found herself waking up to the sun invading her room like a bunch of laser beams pointed at the carpeting. She tried to stand up, and found that it wasn't painful at all. She was back to her normal, walking self. Instantly, the first thought that crossed her mind was that she could now go Vegeta-hunting. The only problem was that her maids and guards would probably try to stop her if she tried to leave… luckily they were nowhere in sight.

Bulma grabbed her bag and peeked out the door. Looking down both sides and seeing no one, Bulma ducked down and made a run for the exit.

For safety reasons, the medical wing was right next to the entrance, and for Bulma's own mischievous purposes, she had asked her parents if her bedroom to be built next to the medical wing, but she meant to ask if she could have it built next to the exit… oops.

Bulma laughed to herself when she was out of the building. She looked down at herself to find that she was wearing new clothes, already fit for going out. She wondered who did that. She gripped her bag tightly and headed off down the street. She knew that people were out looking for her to do her harm, so she would keep a low profile. Not everyone knew her face, and if she kept her head down, she'd be fine. The first thing to do was to find a place to start looking. She tried to think of places that would attract a person like Vegeta, and the thoughts that came to her were a little disturbing. The first place she thought of was the tavern. He seemed like a guy who would get drunk to rid the world of their troubles. The second was, god forbid, the whorehouse, because… he seemed like he'd need it after all that had happened (Bulma felt a knot twist in her stomach at the thought that Vegeta would sleep with a girl for the pleasure of it instead of love. But, then again, he probably didn't even know what the word meant anyway). The third was the back streets, because he seemed like the type of guy who would beat everyone else up if he was having a bad day. So, Bulma started with the tavern. She knew she might get in trouble though. These were definitely not her types of places. She was more like a go shopping, and spend the money you could probable burn and get away with type of person.

She opened the door to the tavern and stepped inside. It was dimly lit and the music was way too loud for her liking. Big, burly men were screaming at each other and one scrawny-looking man was thrown across a table. Bulma jumped at hearing the glasses shatter and hit the ground.

"Hey, sweetheart. What're you here for?" a drunk man asked her, staggering to her.

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just looking for a friend. I don't see him here, so I think… I think I'll be going now." Bulma took one last glance around the bar tables and the front counter, but he wasn't here, so she turned to the door. Opening it, she welcomed the fresh air happily. It smelled like throw up and urine in that building. There was no ventilation except for when someone opened the door.

The next place she went to check was a bit embarrassing. When she walked into the whorehouse, people gave her strange looks. For a very good reason, too, but it wasn't true. She already knew what they were thinking. She would think the same thing but… it still made her face go a little red when men gave her disgusted looks and one woman winked at her. Bulma felt like throwing up.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" a blond, stupid-looking lady at the front counter asked, redirecting her attention from the tempting garbage can to the lady. "I'm sorry, but we only accept men here."

"Oh! No! that's not why I'm here at all. I'm looking for one of my friends. I was just wondering if he was here… or if he had been."

"Oh, honey. I understand completely. He's not worth it if you feel that way about him. Even if he gives you the slightest idea, he's probably not good for you."

"What? No, it's not like that. He's just my friend. We're not… no, not at all."

"Oh, well I'm sorry, but we don't allow stalkers in here either."

"Excuse me?! I'm not a stalker! He's just my friend and I'm looking for him! Can I just see your schedule?"

"Our what?"

"Don't you have a sign-in sheet or something?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll get it. Wait right here." The lady bent down behind her desk and pulled out a stack of papers and a clipboard. "Here you go, honey. The clipboard is the most recent. Probably a few days old by now, but the top paper should show you today's... guests."

Bulma looked over the entire clipboard until she was satisfied. Vegeta hadn't been here. she heard herself let out a held in breath. She sucked in fast, so she wondered how long she had been holding it in.

"Thank you," Bulma said to the lady, handing her back the clipboard.

"Well, at least there's some good news. He's not cheating on you sweetheart. You can be thankful for that. He probably loves you for who you are," the lady said, continuing to talk as Bulma raced out the door, "stop judging him, and start to see him for the wonderful man that he is!"

Bulma walked even faster, worried that someone might see that the crazy blonde lady was screaming her brains out at her about personal matters that weren't even her own.

When she was finally far enough away to hear her own thoughts, Bulma paused to decide where to go next. Her final thought had been the back streets where all the idiots hung out, making their own arenas for amateur fights and whatnot. Turning her head, Bulma realized that she was standing right at the intersection for one of those back streets that lead to all the others. She walked down the back street and rounded a corner to find a hoard of guys surrounding what looked to be a fight. Bulma wasn't that interested in stuff like that, but she wondered if Vegeta was in that circle. For all she knew at this point, he could have been anywhere. It was worth a shot. Putting her head down, she squeezed in between the crowd of now cheering men and teenage boys. Unfortunately, Vegeta wasn't fighting. Only a man who was passed out drunk and a boy with his hands up, claiming the victory. He had horrible acne, but it didn't stop him from beating up a full grown man. Bulma pushed her way back out of the crowd and tried a different street.

This one held a few girls injecting something in their arms. Bulma shivered and walked past them as they tried to offer her some of whatever drug they were using. She just shook her head and rounded another corner.

"Hey there," a man said from behind her. Bulma turned around to see a tall, shadowy figure looming over her. He was handing her two hundred dollar bills, "You tryin' ta make some money, sweetheart? I can supply it if you can give me somethin' in return." He puckered his lips at her and moved closer.

"No thank you," Bulma replied politely, beginning to think that leaving home without one of her guards was a bad idea, and coming to these back parts of the city was an even worse idea. She walked away from the man as he cat-called her and whistled. If anything, Bulma was getting out of there, and she was getting out of there fast. She rounded a corner to see a working street light. A good sign. It meant that a few more yards and she would be back in the safe parts of the city. But then she was grabbed from behind and pulled back into the shadows of the back streets. One of the street lamps flickered and died out as a dirty hand was placed over her mouth. She quickly opened her mouth and bit down hard on a finger. It tasted worse than it smelled. She sprinted for the lighted street, but heard something she feared she would hear.

"Hey… isn't that… Dr. Briefs' kid? It is! Is that runt that's contaminating our water supply! Get her!" Then, more hands grabbed at her and she was blocked off from the street by another group of people who had heard what the first man had said. She was trapped.

Bulma tried to break free of their grasps, but it was no use. There were too many of them.

"You're the reason my daughter's had that stomach virus for two months!" one lady yelled in her ear.

"Dr. Briefs told me he'd give me a raise, but look where I am now… Fired! That son of a bitch is the reason why my children go to bed on empty stomachs every night and my wife looks like a skeleton! I think he should know what that feels like instead of fattening up his stupid little daughter and telling her that the people like me don't matter!"

"Yeah!" everyone joined in.

"Please!" Bulma cried, "We're doing everything we can! We're trying to help you people, not hurt you!"

"Yeah, good job! You're really helping us!"

One man lifted up his shirt to reveal that all his bones were protruding through his skin. It looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Bulma wasn't the cause of all this, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for these people. Even though what they were doing wasn't right, she could understand where they were coming from.

"My daughter needs a new shirt," one of the men stated, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to say. He grabbed for her shirt and tugged hard.

"Yeah, and my niece needs a nice bag like that one," one lady taunted, ripping the bag from Bulma's hands.

One of the men reached between her legs, making her yelp. "Yeah. And I need a little something, too," the man said, squeezing her. Bulma screamed.

The women, getting the message, started to walk away for the men to do with her what they pleased. Bulma felt a tear run down the side of her face. She was afraid. She was a genius, and she knew that no amount of brain power was going to get her out of this mess. These people just couldn't be reasoned with. She felt more tears cascade down her face.

Another man grabbed her face in his big, reeking hands. She tried to pull away, but another one grabbed her arms and threw her onto the ground. Her head hit the cement and she felt the world spin around her. Her head throbbed and she thought she was bleeding. She couldn't check because her arms were being tied tightly behind her back.

"I have a brilliant idea!" one of the men shouted, "Let's keep her hostage and tell that old fool, Dr. Briefs, that if he wants his daughter back alive, he'll fork over all his money to helping the people in the city like us!" A few cheers were heard from the group.

Bulma noticed a couple people with children pass by and look at her sympathetically. She knew they would never risk their children's safety by saving her, but she couldn't help but hope. She tried to look through the crowd of males to the people walking by for someone she could yell at to help her. Someone who looked strong and able to handle themselves without help from someone else. Even if they didn't need help, at least it might cause more people to try to free her from these men. But no one even seemed to notice her. Maybe it was because they knew who she was. By now, she doubted it that this entire part of the back streets knew she was here. Maybe they thought that she deserved what she was going to get. They were going to use her to get money from her father. If only she'd stayed home. This would have never happened. Vegeta had probably already found a way off the planet and was far away by now. She had started a mission that was guaranteed to fail from the beginning. Everything was pointless. She had already sent scouts out to search for him. The one's that came back said they didn't see him anywhere in the city. Two didn't even come back to Capsule Corporation. She had to admit it to herself. Vegeta was gone. He wasn't coming back, and these people were finally going to get what they wanted… money, revenge, and her father to beg on his knees to the poor people of Satan City for his daughter back. Everything was going to fall. The company, her future, her family's reputation, everything. She felt the full weight of what was to come drop on top of her and push her farther into the ground. She wouldn't have liked anything more than to just be buried where she was.

Another man gripped her chest and pulled. "I'm sure your father won't mind if we don't give _all_ of you back… will he?" He pulled out a knife from his back pocket, showing his green and yellow teeth to Bulma. She looked at the man, feeling the stink of his breath in her face, then glanced at the shiny piece of metal he was showing off before her planned to cut into her with it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice hissed from behind. The man with the knife whipped around. Bulma tried to see around him, but couldn't look at whoever had spoken out in her defense. A feeling of joy welled up inside her. Finally, someone who was on Capsule Corporation's side was here to help her get back to her family _without_ them having to pay a ransom.

"Please! Help me! I'm over here!" Bulma called to the stranger.

"Yes, I know you're there, woman. Stop screaming."

Bulma's head snapped up. "V-Vegeta?"

"Who else do you think it would be, woman? One of your puny Earthlings? Your planet has no _warriors_. I feel like I'm contaminating your planet's undisciplined and untrained nature by just standing here. Only cowards and weaklings would pick on a defenseless girl. I could kill everyone in this city with my hands tied behind my back and my eyes closed, and their all so idiotic that they're still standing there. Like what? They think they can fight me? Yeah," Vegeta chuckled. He glanced at the man who was holding the knife. "You. Try to keep up. I'll go slow for you."

In an instant, the man was thrown against the farthest brick wall and held there by his neck, Vegeta lightly laughing, his face inches from the man's fearful eyes. He took a quick glance toward the men who Bulma thought seemed pretty fearsome a few moments ago. Now, they looked like scared pups. A few ran away and she pictured them with their tails between the legs.

"So? I guess you're just playing with me," Vegeta said, smirking, "Right? Because I took it easy on you. I wasn't even moving at half of my maximum speed. You were just… warming up, weren't you?"

Bulma thought the man looked as if he was about to cry. Vegeta had certainly scared him out of his previous state of mind. He went from savage-like weasel to little girl in a matter of seconds. She turned to see that all the man's comrades had run away from what looked to be their deaths. Bulma felt like laughing at what Vegeta could make those men do, but she knew it wasn't the proper time, so she kept her mouth shut.

"Woman," Vegeta called to her, sounding a little bored, "Are you badly injured?"

"N-No. I'm fine."

"Can't you complain about anything? They didn't touch one hair on your head?"

"W-Why?"

"I'd like to give this idiot what he deserves, but if he didn't do anything to you, I can't do anything to him." Vegeta turned his head to lift an eyebrow at her. "Well?"

"Really. I-I think I'm fine."

"Two mistakes, woman. First, you can't _think_ that you're fine. You're either fine or you're not, and you're the only person who can determine that in your current situation. Second, you keep stuttering, so obviously this man did something. Plus, he just dropped a knife he was holding. That isn't nothing to me. Come on. Just give me one reason to rip his limbs off… slowly," he added, turning back to the man. His face went white when he saw the evil intent in Vegeta's eyes.

"No, Vegeta. Stop. Let him go."

"Yeah, right," he chuckled, "I'm actually beginning to think that I won't need a reason. His breath is making me nauseous, so I might just kill him to save someone else the trouble of smelling this horrible stench.

"No, Vegeta," Bulma repeated, raising her voice.

Vegeta turned his head back around to glare at her, but then noticed all the people who were now staring at the scene he was making. He scowled and let go of the man he had been holding the throat of. The dirty rat fell to the ground with a grunt. He didn't lift his head as Vegeta bent down next to him.

"If you ever think of hurting her again," he whispered, too low for anyone to hear but the man, "I will hunt you down and I will kill you. Understand?" When the man nodded, Vegeta elbowed him in the stomach and then stood back up, turning to Bulma. He didn't say a word. He just grabbed her by the middle of her arm and pulled her along. She didn't object and when they were out of the back streets he let her go.

"I keep having to bring you back to that stupid home of yours," he grunted, "Why can't you stop getting in so much trouble. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were looking for it that time."

"Well, if trouble is what you refer to yourself as then you're correct."

"Me?! That's why you went out by yourself? Are you insane, woman? Don't you have any brain functioning up there?" he asked, hitting her lightly in the head, although it didn't seem like he was joking.

Bulma sighed as Vegeta started to head down the street and moved to follow him. He didn't say anything until they were back at Capsule Corporation's front entrance. He paused and turned to face her.

"Now, go in there and stay there," he said, making a move to go past her… to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Bulma asked, her heart about to fall down into her stomach, "You can't just leave again."

"Of course I can. Who's going to stop me? You?" he laughed at the thought.

"Please don't go."

"Why not?" he asked, folding his arms defensively.

"I… I don't want you to go." Bulma said, putting her head down.

She snapped her head up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Well. I guess I can stay for a little while," he stated, refusing to look her in the eyes.

Bulma smiled and put her hand over his on her shoulder. He looked up at her and pulled his hand away with force that could have knocked over twenty men. (Earthling men)

"Do that again and I'll never come back," he warned, "Not only that. I'll tie you to your bed as well so you can't leave." Bulma was about to protest when she noticed the side of his mouth curve into a smirk. She smiled back at him, then raced for the door to her home, holding it open for her guardian angel.


	7. The Ceremony

**Chapter Seven: The Ceremony**

Bulma woke up the next morning with one thing on her mind… food. She got out of her bed and made her way to the kitchen. Vegeta coming the previous day had been a bit of a hassle. At first he tried to leave again because Chichi was complaining about how dirty he was. Then he met Goku and claimed that his stupidity was "annihilating his good judgment," and he had tried to leave again. Overall, the entire day was one big disaster. One moment Vegeta was fine, the next he was trying to get to the door so he could leave without Bulma noticing. She had stopped him every time until he finally gave up. Actually, it was more of a bribe than anything. She had offered him the food in the kitchen after hearing his stomach growl. Maron, one of Bulma's other housemaids, had run into the room thinking there was an earthquake because of the unnaturally loud noise.

Bulma looked in the refrigerator, but found that her so called "guardian angel" was trying to starve her. She checked the cabinets and yet still found nothing for breakfast. She grumpily went back the way she came. On her way past the gravity room, which Vegeta had requested as his specific living quarters, she peered inside through the small window on the door. He wasn't in there. She wondered where he had gone this early in the morning. _He was probably so hungry that he went hunting,_ she thought, laughing to herself.

"What's so funny?" Vegeta asked, surprising her from behind.

"Oh, nothing," she laughed, making him scowl at her and continue walking to wherever he was going in the first place.

"This place is stupid," he stated, "You don't have any food. Your so called 'maids' are still asleep. Shouldn't they be out getting more food. There's nothing in the kitchen. You have plenty of money for it, as you've demonstrated very well," he growled, waving his hand around, indicating the mansion Bulma called her home. "And where is your supervision? Shouldn't you have guards with you?"

"Goku, Nappa and Tien are still sleeping, and if you hadn't eaten everything yesterday then we would still have something to eat in this house for this morning. And, if you have a problem with Chichi or Maron, complain to yourself because I don't want to hear it. They're my best friends and I won't stand for you telling me that they aren't doing a good enough job for you. They've worked for me since we were all children, and I love them like my own family."

"Speaking of your family," Vegeta yawned, ignoring her previous statement, "When do they get back?"

"Why do you care!"

"Don't be upset because you're hungry, woman. If you really want something to eat then go buy something."

Bulma's jaw almost hit the floor. "You were the one who just complained that my house wasn't good enough for you! I'm not the one who wants food so badly! _You're_ the one who has an attitude problem! Not me!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and continued walking away from her, down the hallway, leaving her to cool down in silence.

After about a minute of thinking how much of a jerk Vegeta had been, her stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. She decided that she would take his advice and go get some food. It would piss him off because she would go alone, as he had instructed her not to do ever since he decided to stay at Capsule Corporation, so she would kill two birds with one stone that way. She went back to her room and changed her clothes. She grabbed some money, shoved it in her jacket pocket and raced out the door. She threw a capsule into the air and it became her ride: a baby blue car her mother usually used. It wasn't stylish, but that was good because she wouldn't want to call any attention to herself. _Oh,_ _crap_ , she thought, _I_ _forgot_ _money! Smart Bulma Briefs, very smart. Genius prodigy goes to supermarket without any money. I can see it_ _now_. She raced back inside, grabbed the first wad of cash she saw and ran back out to the car. She opened the door to the driver's seat and shut it behind her, sighing heavily. She looked up and jumped when she saw movement in the back seat through the front mirror.

"Vegeta!" she fumed, "Get out of my car!"

"You know I won't do that, woman."

"Your job's over, Vegeta. Freiza isn't controlling you anymore. I'm no longer your charge. You're not my bodyguard. I have my own here."

"Well, they're too stupid to know when their charge is in danger," he stated, reminding Bulma of the previous day, "So I guess I'll just have to replace them and their incompetent behavior with a better and more consistent _babysitter_." He said the last word with a bit of anger. Bulma wondered if it was directed at her or her 'incompetent' guards. She did have to admit, though, that it was a hell of a lot easier to sneak around Goku and the others than Vegeta.

"Why are you so persistent. Don't you have a life or something?"

He looked down at the carpeting in the car. "My life is none of your concern, woman. Yours, on the other hand, is your concern, as well as mine."

"My life isn't your concern. I can take care of myself."

"That's a pretty bold statement for a girl who almost got raped yesterday."

"I was not!"

"I was watching you, woman. Don't lie. Now, I have a question for you. Why were those people so eager to get you?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Wrong again, woman. Just answer my question."

"You can go to hell! Now get out of my car!"

"Whatever," he said, getting out, "Don't blame me if your cries for help fall on deaf ears."

As soon as Bulma saw the door to her home slam shut, she drove off. _What a dickhead_ , she thought heatedly. He didn't have anything better to do than try to argue with her? Ugh, what a way to start her morning. She pulled into the parking lot for the supermarket and got out of the car. Maybe she should have let him come along. He could have carried her stuff for her.

She quickly picked out the most expensive meat and grabbed almost everything on the shelves. By the time she was finished she had the employees of the store carting around her eight carriages. So much for not attracting any attention. She really didn't care at this point. Someone could kill her for all she cared. They helped her put the things she bought in capsules and fit them into one shopping bag. She put the bag in the passenger's seat and drove off.

She stopped in front of her house to see that something was different. The lights in the top floor's rooms were on and everything was way too quiet for her liking. She grabbed her bag and took it with her to the doorstep. A loud, high-pitched scream came from inside and Bulma quickly opened the door. The sight she saw was not one she had been expecting. Her mother was crying on the floor as Vegeta held her father against the wall, the same way he had held the man who had been holding the knife the day before.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Vegeta asked, his expression threatening.

"Vegeta, stop!" Bulma called, "That's my father! Those are my _parents_!"

As if realization dawned on him, Vegeta slowly lowered Dr. Briefs back down to the floor, and placed him gently down, his eyes wider than usual. He let go of his neck and stood there, stagnant. Bulma's mother stood up and ran over, tears flying everywhere, to her husband and held him tightly.

"Father!" Bulma called, running over to hug him as well, "I'm so sorry. Vegeta didn't know who you were. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry, Bulma. I'm fine," he replied, rubbing his neck.

"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you were supposed to be away for another week."

"Well, the man who was buying our projects gave us a good deal right off the bat! Isn't that great? Oh, and we've brought you back a surprise," he added pointing to her mother and himself.

"A present? What is it?"

"Well, first I'd like to know who this… strapping young man is."

"Oh. This is Vegeta. He's—"

"Oh, Bulma!" her mother cried, "We told you not to bring home any boys! The ceremony is in only a few hours. Don't make this any more complicated than it should be sweetheart. It's for the best. Trust your father and I. we've picked out only the best for our daughter," she smiled at the last part and Bulma noticed Vegeta lift an eyebrow in curiosity and Bulma mentally reprimanded herself for not remembering what day it was. The ceremony was _today_? That was a major setback. She thought it wasn't for at least another week or so…

"No, mom," Bulma said, "Vegeta isn't like that. This is the bodyguard Freiza assigned for my protection, not…"

"Oh, my mistake sweetheart! Sorry about that!" She turned to Vegeta and walked straight at him. Vegeta stiffened, but didn't expect her to wrap her arms around him in an embrace. He didn't move until she had backed off, and he continued staring dumbly at her until she addressed him. "Well, Vegeta, I hope you've been treated well. Thank you for taking care of my daughter while we were gone and we're honored to have you in our house."

"You know, Bulma, that your mother and I have given you a present, correct."

"Well, you haven't given it to me yet," she replied, smirking at her father.

"Well, we're also still paying Vegeta's Lord, Freiza, for this man's services, right?"

"Oh! Father there's something have to tell you about Freiza! He's trying to k—"

"Woman!"

"Huh?" Bulma looked over at Vegeta, who solemnly shook his head at her. She understood. There was nothing her parents would be able to do. It would only make them worry about her safety. As much as she cared about them, there was nothing she or they could do about this problem. The only person she believed would have any answer was Vegeta, and so if he thought it was best for her parents not to know, then she wouldn't tell them.

"Excuse me? What's he trying to do? I didn't quite hear you on that last part, sweetheart."

"Oh, umm. He's trying to do the best job he can of protecting me. That's why he asked Vegeta to be my guard. He's one of the best."

"I'm flattered," he mumbled, rolling his eyes at her.

"So, Dad? What's that present? And what does it have to do with Vegeta?"

"Look," her mother instructed pulling out some kind of machine from her purse. "It's called the Dragon Radar. Do you know the legend of the eternal dragon, Shenlong?"

"Of course. He grants one perfect wish to anyone who can gather all seven dragon balls and summon him… wait, are you trying to tell me that this machine can _lead_ me to the seven magic dragon balls?" she asked in shock.

"Way to go, genius of the planet," Vegeta murmured under his breath, causing Bulma to throw a tissue box at him from the coffee table. "What does all this nonsense have to do with me?" he asked.

"It's not _nonsense_ , young man," Dr. Briefs scolded, "And it involves you because you're my daughter's guard. I thought she'd have to wait to go look for the dragon balls, but now that you're here, and we're still paying Freiza for your wonderful services…"

Vegeta instantly came up with a list of remarks that got longer and longer every second that he didn't use one of them. He kept his mouth shut though. If he tried to get out of this pointless job, the two old Earthlings would know that something was wrong and that he wasn't exactly in charge of their daughter anymore. If he had to explain why, then there would be trouble… lots of trouble.

"Well, sweetheart, you can go on this new adventure right after the ceremony. You should go prepare for it. We only have about twenty, so it'll go by quickly. I promise."

Bulma's parents knew very well that she hated this ceremony. She thought it was insane and barbaric and she shouldn't have to do it like the idiots of the past. The only example her parents could give her was themselves, and they always told her, 'Look how we came out. We love each other and we love out family.' Yeah, well, Bulma's idea of love wasn't picking one man out of twenty to be her future husband. Her parents called it her duty, but duty was just another word for slavery. It was just in nicer terms.

She headed for her room with Vegeta on her heels.

"What's this ceremony?" he asked in his usual, 'I'm better than everyone and there's nothing they can do about it' tone.

"You'll just have to wait and find out," Bulma replied bitterly.

"I'm guessing from that response that you still haven't eaten anything," he said and Bulma whipped around to face him. She had wanted to startle him, but he just stood there, smirking devilishly at her without faltering, or even blinking for that matter. She noticed again his handsome features so she whipped back around to stop herself from looking, and continued down the corridor to her bedroom.

"Stop following me," she growled, after hearing his footsteps behind her once again. She thought that her last retort was enough for him to get the message. She guessed he probably got it anyway and was just following her to annoy her further.

"You heard your old man. He said that he's still paying my _Lord_ ," he spat when he mentioned the lizard's title, "So I might as well continue my job, don't you think?"

"Well your services aren't currently needed, so go away."

"That's not for you to decide when I'm the one who's in charge of your safety."

"Please just go away. I have to change my clothes and prepare. You can't be in there when I'm changing. Just go somewhere else. I left the food I bought in the bag in the living room. Put them away and you can have as much as you want."

"I don't think so, woman. I'm not going anywhere."

"Well," Bulma said, coming to her bedroom, "You have to stay out here. Guard the hallway from spray paint or something. I'm sure that's more likely than me being attacked in my own house."

He didn't respond to her statement, but he grunted and leaned against the wall next to the door. Bulma sighed and entered her room, closing the door behind her. Before doing anything, she went to her bed to lay down and relax her tensed muscles. She always seemed to tighten up whenever Vegeta was around. But, before she knew it, she was sound asleep.

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"Woman! What do you think you're doing in there?!" Vegeta's loud call woke her up from her rest. He was banging relentlessly on her door. "I've been out here for almost an hour and you haven't made a single noise in there! What are you doing? Dying! Your parents said you have to be back in that room in one hour, and you have five minutes! Woman! Are you even listening to me?"

"What?" Bulma asked sluggishly, opening her eyes, "Five what?"

"You have five minutes to get your lazy ass out here or I'm coming in!"

"Five minutes?! Oh my gosh! I've been out. How stupid of me." She rushed to her closet and grabbed a light blue dress with satin lining and threw it on. She quickly brushed through her hair and put on a light coating of make-up. She grabbed her eyeliner and mascara and ran to the mirror behind her door. After about five minutes, she was finally finished. It wasn't an excellent job, but it looked almost perfect for having only five minutes to do it.

"That's it," Vegeta called, "I'm coming in in three… two… one—"

"I'm here!" Bulma said, opening the door, breathing heavy. She bent over to put her hands on her knees for a second before standing up straight to face him. "How do I look?" she breathed.

Vegeta's heart almost skipped a beat. If he didn't know any better he would have said that this god-like creature wasn't the fragile woman he had known for the past few days. Her aqua-hair fell delicately over her shoulders, matching her eyes and her dress. Her light cerulean eyes were deeply looking directly into his dark black ones and he had to force himself from getting lost in them. Seeing the top of the light blue dress, filled with her firm and plentiful breasts, caused a blazing fire to erupt between his legs. He quickly broke the lock between their eyes and looked her up and down. The dress complimented every curve on her body. Her cheeks had a beautiful luscious blush to them and her lips were full with a natural pink tint. He was so close to them. If he moved only slightly, he could touch them…

"You look like you did the last time I saw you, woman! Will you just hurry up! I don't want to be blamed for your being late!" He grabbed her arm and dragged her along until they made it back to the room. Her parents were waiting for them there.

"Oh, honey!" her mother said holding out her arms. Vegeta rolled his eyes as she came over to her daughter and hugged her tightly. "You look wonderful! Every single man at this ceremony will be fawning over you, sweetheart. Make sure you choose wisely. Talk to some of them. Get to know them for their personalities, not just the way they look, okay?"

"I know, mom," Bulma said, taking a glance at Vegeta. He raised his eyebrows at her, catching on to what the ceremony was for.

When her mother had finally let her go, they all walked sown to the dining hall, which could easily fit well over one hundred people. So, naturally, Bulma was surprised to see it packed when she opened the gigantic double doors. As soon as everyone saw her, the room got quiet. Nappa and Goku ran to her side and bowed forward. Tien walked to her next and reached out his hand to indicate the angelic figure Vegeta still couldn't believe was that annoying pest he had known before.

"I give you the heir to Capsule Corporation… Bulma Briefs!"

The room erupted in cheer and Bulma's face went red with embarrassment. Her father took her hand and led her to the front of the table to sit down. Mrs. Briefs took Vegeta's hand, which he at first didn't agree with and pulled away, but she insisted, so he angrily complied. He was seated next to Bulma, with Goku on the opposite side. Dr. Briefs seated himself at the other end of the long dinner table, his wife sitting by his side. Nappa remained standing by the door, and Tien made his way around the crowds of people to stand next to a large window with his hands behind his back.

Side doors opened on every side of the room and lines of waiters and waitresses poured into the room, making it even more compacted. People shuffle around to get a good look at Bulma and her family. She looked back occasionally, but mostly kept her eyes on the plate below her on the table. Waiters were constantly filling it up, so she lost interest in trying to eat anything. The fun of eating for her was the empty plate and the feeling of satisfaction when she was finished.

After everyone had finished eating and the waiters and waitresses were finished cleaning up the messes, her father waved his hand, signaling for silence. The room was quiet in a matter of seconds.

"We will now hold the ceremony in the adjacent room to my left," he said, waving a hand to the left, "Will the bachelors please be escorted by their immediate families to that room. Everyone else, please remain out here. We will return when the first part of the ceremony is completed."

Bulma stood and walked to her father. Goku and Vegeta followed them into the next room. Bulma couldn't believe it, but she found herself trying not to cry. This was supposed to be one of the greatest moments of her life, and she hadn't realized how much it was going to affect her until now. There was nothing she could do to prevent this. Whomever she picked would instantly tell their family members, and it would soon spread throughout the entire city like a wildfire. She glanced to her right to find Vegeta walking next to her, looking at her.

"What are you going to have to do in this stupid family ritual anyway? I get the part where you have to choose someone, but do you have to… mate with them?"

"…Eventually," she said. She had tried to sound confident, but her voice broke and Vegeta caught it.

"You don't want to?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"I could get you out of it for a while if you want," he said, smiling at whatever plan was entering his mind.

"No. I don't have a choice. I'll have to do it eventually. I can't get out of it forever. A little more freedom isn't worth the trouble."

Vegeta fell back as they entered the new room. A large chair in the front was positioned at the end of a long blue rug, which was rolled out like a red carpet down the entire room. Bulma understood why her father had asked some people to stay behind. This room was even smaller than the dining hall. There was no possible way to fit more than fifty people in this room.

She walked to her place on the upper stage and sat down in the chair. Vegeta and Goku once again stationed on either side of her. Then, the ceremony begun. One at a time, twenty men came forward and introduced themselves to her, bowing when necessary. Some were polite, others were conceited, as if they expected her to just jump up and say, "That one!" because they had a gravitational aura of some other shit like that. She rested her head in her hand and dealt with every type of person she could think of. She felt even more uncomfortable because of Vegeta's persistent glace in her direction every time some man gave their name and occupation to her. A few times she though she saw him hold in a laugh. She felt a little angry that he found her distress amusing. This was her future and he had the nerve to laugh at her, the jerk.

After the idiot show was over, Bulma was allowed to leave her chair. Everyone began piling back into the dining hall, following Bulma and her two guards, then her parents, holding each other's hand for show purposes.

"Now what?" Vegeta asked her, walking up to her again.

"Nothing, she sighed in defeat, "I talk to a couple people and then I have to pick one of them."

"That's disgusting."

"What?"

"Having someone pick your mate for you. That didn't even happen on my planet and we were mostly savages… unless the woman got raped of course."

Bulma wanted to ask why he was talking in past tense about his home planet, but didn't get the chance to before a man came running up to her.

"Hello, Ms. Briefs," he said, bowing his head, "My name is Yamcha and I just wanted to introduce myself."

"You did that before," Bulma stated, not in the mood for an idiot's senseless babbling. She really didn't want to hear any long life stories, childhood memories, problems with their families and how much they want a better life, how they could please her and make her happy, how good they were in bed, what they planned on naming their children, what they wanted from her if she chose them, and all that stupid, useless shit. It was all pointless. She didn't even care anymore. If her selection was out of the twenty she was just shown, then the best she would get was this man who was talking to her right now. He seemed honest and polite compared to the others, but he just wasn't her type of guy. Sure, he was attractive, but that wasn't good enough for the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. The man who she was going to have to have children with and raise them with. This wasn't what she wanted.

"I'd like to be alone right now, Yamcha," Bulma said, as politely as she could make it sound.

"But, Ms. Briefs," he said, grabbing for her shoulder when she turned away from him. A yelp made her turn back. Vegeta had knocked him over and even Goku was surprised at his bold action.

"She said she wants to be alone. That means without you," he said, looking down at Yamcha on the floor. Bulma noticed that he was shaking, but she turned to walk away from the crowd anyway. She saw her mother out of the corner of her eye whisper something to her father and point at Vegeta. She hoped he hadn't gotten himself in trouble. He had already claimed the attention of half the people in the room. Bulma guessed they had been expecting a fight, but she knew that if one of the contestants was Vegeta, it wouldn't be much of a fight at all.

She made her way to the edge of the room, away from all the people. She leaned against the wall and looked at the ground. Vegeta came up to her after scaring Goku away and he leaned on the wall to her left.

"So…," he asked, "Pick anyone yet?"

Bulma looked at him with a disbelieving look. "Are you enjoying this?" she asked.

"Don't play with me, woman. I'm not in the mood."

"I just don't want to do this. I told you already. Why would you ask if I had picked one of them yet if you knew that?"

"I could fix all this if you want."

"Don't bother. There's nothing you can do."

"Well, there is one thing…"

"What?"

Vegeta pushed himself off the wall and stood directly in front of her. There was barely a half of a foot between them. He leaned forward and put his mouth next to her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her neck.

"Do you want to pick one or not?"

Bulma couldn't find the will to move, much less respond to Vegeta's question. She looked over his shoulder to see a few people looking over at them. Her parents were included.

Vegeta chuckled and shivers raced down Bulma's spine. She shifted against him, feeling uncomfortable. Yet, it felt almost… right, being that close to him.

"Maybe it's better that you don't answer that." Bulma stiffened. What was that supposed to mean? He pulled his head back to look her in the eyes. Those light cerulean eyes that he had been afraid to lose himself in not an hour before... Now he wanted to.

"Vegeta, what are you—" But she couldn't finish her question before the Saiyan Prince closed the gap between their lips.


	8. Change of Plans

**Chapter Eight: Change of Plans**

Bulma blinked stupidly a couple of times before her brain registered what was happening. Her guard was right in front of her and their lips were sealed together. She felt her eyes slide shut slowly as Vegeta pushed her up against the wall behind her. She guessed it was because of the fact that her legs were turning to jelly and she couldn't hold up the weight of her body without his support. She felt Vegeta chuckle as she slowly lost all the energy in her body. His chest shook against hers with the laugh. She opened her eyes only for a moment to see her mother looking at her with an expression of horror on her face… but she couldn't bring herself to care for some unfathomable reason. This man, whom she knew almost nothing about, was kissing her so passionately and with more emotion than she thought would be possible for him, and it felt… good.

Bulma knew that this wasn't allowed. She had to pick one of the men her parents had chosen for her, and here she was. Kissing the man who would have killed her father if she hadn't walked into the room at that exact moment. The thought made her let out a light laugh, letting a breath enter Vegeta's mouth. He parted his lips and breathed her in. Damn, did she taste good.

This female, who was so weak and fragile, was in his arms, and for some reason he couldn't imagine, he didn't want to let her go. In that instant, he felt a strange power inside of himself rise and grow, then fall again. It continued on that process for the entire experience… and what an experience it was. Of course Vegeta had kissed girls before. Freiza often gave him women to play with when his Lord wanted something important done, and he had certainly used them in every way he could think of, and he meant _every_ way he could think of. But this simple Earthling female was doing something to his head. She made him feel as if he was doing this for some reason other than for pleasure. He just couldn't understand it and it was annoying him. And yet, he couldn't stay on the topic for long because the female had snaked her arms around his neck and was brushing her fingers through his hair. He almost shivered… almost. What the hell was happening to him?! His body felt as if it were on fire. This had never happened with any of the other females he had kissed. Nothing in his entire life had ever felt this good.

Bulma felt his hands on her neck and back and she leaned into him and all his glorious warmth. She felt his heat invade and take over her body as his tongue slipped into her mouth, entering a fierce clash with hers. When it subsided for a few seconds, she explored the inside of his mouth and let out a moan when he pulled her closer to him, if that was even possible. Every fiber of her body lit up like a spark wherever he touched her.

Then, as quickly as it started, she felt pain. A stinging physical pain. Vegeta swiftly backed away from her and let out a low growl. Bulma slid to the cold floor, feeling a tear trail down the side of her face. What had happened? The back of her head was pulsing like a bitch and it wouldn't stop.

Vegeta whipped around to face someone. Bulma lifted her head up to see that it was Nappa. In a second, Nappa, who was a good foot taller than Vegeta, and disgustingly more muscular, was down on the ground with his hands protecting his face. Too fast for anyone to be able to comprehend what had happened, Vegeta had brought blood to the surface on several places on Nappa's body. He was crying out in pain and Bulma wondered how someone like him could have become one of her bodyguards.

"The next time you want to hit me, think about what I can do to you when you've finished. And if you want to protect someone, try not to kill them in the process," he spat before kicking him in the head, knocking him out cold.

Bulma felt the back of her pulsing head to find blood on her hands when she looked at them. It wasn't enough to worry about immediate treatment, but she was still bleeding. It was funny though. She must've been so into what she was doing that she hadn't noticed when the back of her head slammed against the cement wall.

She felt someone touch her and looked up to find Vegeta bending down next to her, looking worriedly at her. She opened her mouth to say that she was okay, but nothing came out. She tried again, but still no noise would exit her mouth. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she talk? She felt Vegeta's hands slip under her form and lift her off the ground.

"Get out of my way," she heard him say threateningly as he carried her away. Her eyes were beginning to close, but she was able to see her father running after them, yelling at Vegeta to bring her back. He called him a few names and threatened him a bit. Vegeta turned around to face him and yelled something that Bulma couldn't make out. A loud high pitched noise was interfering with her hearing. She wanted to tell Vegeta to make it stop, but she still couldn't make any noise come out of her mouth. Then, he whipped back around, making her get an intense feeling of nausea. She only had time to hear a door slam shut behind her before her eyes slid closed and she was enveloped in darkness.

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"You have no _right_!"

"Who are you to decide my rights, old man?"

"I'm the father of the girl that you're destroying the future of! So I can say what your rights are in that matter! You will leave as soon as possible. I've contacted Freiza. When he gets here, give him my regards and my honest apologies. Tell him I will still pay him in full for his services, but they are no longer needed. They have become more of a burden than a help." Dr. Briefs turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving Vegeta to his thoughts. Great. Now he was being yelled at for kissing the old man's daughter. _There_ was something that had never happened to him before. But this new problem that had presented itself was more of a burden to him than the old man. That was for sure.

He made his way back down the corridor to the aqua-haired female's room where he had left her a few hours before. He didn't need a doctor or a nurse to tell him that the impact from her head being between him and the wall when that idiot tried to get him off of her by punching him in the back of his head had caused a concussion to the female. He remembered the generous amount of effort it took to not squash her like a pancake when he was hit. His head was, by far, a hell of a lot harder than the brick wall. If he hadn't been able to stop himself, she wouldn't be a pancake. She would be a mess of skull and brains on the floor instead. Oh, how he wanted to kill the mother fucker. Nappa, was his name, and he would remember it until that bastard paid for what he did to his woman. He paused. Was that really what he felt he was guarding? His woman? Was that what she was to him now? No, of course not. What was he thinking? He kissed her to get her out of having to mate with one of those losers. It was nothing more than a diversion… a tactic to protect his charge. Then why did he feel so strongly about the female mating with those other males. Was it… jealousy that he felt? No, that was absurd. The Prince of all Saiyans, jealous? Yeah, like hell he was. He didn't have to be. He could have anything he wanted and more… couldn't he?

Vegeta opened the door to the female's bedroom to find her trying to sit up. Her head was in her hands as she placed her feet on the ground. Vegeta came over to her, but she didn't seem to notice him. He sat down on the bed, but she still didn't notice his presence in the room, much less the fact that he was sitting right next to her. She moaned as she rubbed her temples and her forehead. Then she tried to stand up. Getting to her feet, she swayed a little bit, then fell forward onto her knees, groaning in pain.

"Woman, stop trying to get up. You have a concussion," he said, lifting her back up onto the bed.

"How long have you been here?" she asked and Vegeta's eyebrows rose.

"Not too long. I just got here… I just had your old man yelling at me… we have a problem."

"What?" she asked, rubbing her temples again. One of her eyes was half closed with the pain from her head.

"He's contacted Freiza. He's coming here. We have to leave immediately."

"Okay. I'll…" Bulma's eyes began to slide shut and she began to fall.

"Hey!" Vegeta called, catching her before her head came in contact with the floor. She was out again… Vegeta picked her up and placed her back on the bed. Then he went back over to the dresser and continued to fill the bag with her clothes. He saw a few things that he thought she might need later on and threw them into the backpack with the rest of her clothes, smirking to himself as he pulled up the zipper. Then he found something else, lying on top of her nightstand. He grabbed it and shoved it in with the rest of the female's things. Swinging the pack over his shoulder and lifting the female's petite form off the bed, he cradled her in his arms and walked out the door. He looked down the hallway for anyone walking by. There wasn't anyone there, so he quickly made his way to the nearest exit. Looking down at the female in his arms, he noticed she still had the same dress on from that stupid ritual. Although, she still looked the same. Exactly the same. It made his heart beat faster through his tight blue shirt. He could feel her hot breath on his bare arm... He just sighed and continued walking until he was outside the Capsule Corporation building.

He breathed in the fresh air before looking around. They were in the middle of a huge city. Before they went anywhere, they were going to have to get out of there first. Vegeta made his way down streets, roads and alleys until at last he reached the border of Satan City. Beyond were woodlands and trails that went into them. He crossed the final street with Bulma in his arms and walked to the edge of the line of tree to enter the woods beyond before he began to think about what he was doing. What did Freiza want from him. That idiot, Gurd, had told him that Freiza was using a plan to bring as much pain to Vegeta as possible before killing him, or that's how he understood it anyway, and bringing the most pain to him would involve killing the female…? Because that had been another strange point. Before he had forced to Vegeta to flee or die, Freiza didn't know that he was going to be with this female for an extended period of time. Unless all this had been planned. Freiza did have scouters, so it was guaranteed that they already knew where to find him and the female. All Gurd had said was that Freiza had a plan for the two of them, and knowing Freiza, his plans never benefited the people that he made them for. So the only question remaining was what he was waiting for to come and get them. If he was angry, he would have already come to kill both of them. If he was upset, he would have sent someone else to do it. But no one was here, not even the lizard himself. What could possibly have stopped him from coming… or was he planning something to make him suffer even more. If so, what could make that happen? He already beat him and brought him to the edge of death and back. What could be more painful than that?

Without another thought to slow him down, he shifted the aqua-haired female against his chest so she wouldn't fall. And then he ran.

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Bulma's eyes opened as soon as the smell of food entered her eager nose. She looked around, expecting to see Chichi bringing her breakfast into her room… but she was laying on a pile of grass, and what she smelled were only a couple eggs cooking on top of a rock above a fire. Vegeta was sitting a while away on a tree stump and Bulma couldn't help but just sit there watch him. He looked almost peaceful. Like he had nothing on his mind but whatever landscape he was seeing. Like the sun's rays could amplify themselves onto him and he would still sit there, looking as if nothing was ever wrong with the world. Then, as if on cue, he turned around and locked their eyes together. As soon as they were locked, it broke, and Vegeta stood up. He no longer had that peaceful look in his eyes. He was back to the normal unreadable expression where his deep black eyes couldn't be dove into.

He walked over to the rock with the eggs on it and flipped one of them over, inspecting it.

"Where did you get that?" Bulma asked, sitting up with her arms behind her for support.

"Some animal," he replied without any emotion.

"… What were you just thinking about? Over there?" She pointed to the tree stump and Vegeta looked at it. He turned back to what he was doing and flipped the second egg, looking it over like he did the other one.

"Nothing."

"Where are we?"

"About fifteen miles east of your home."

"How did I get here? I don't see any capsules."

"Why do you keep asking questions, woman?" he snapped at her, "Can't you just shut up for a few seconds?"

"Excuse me? You were the one who decided to bring me along, so don't blame me for your own actions."

"You mean my own _mistakes_."

"If it was so much of a mistake, then why don't you bring me back?"

"I was thinking about that" he said, walking over to her. He stood above her with a deadly-intent look in his eyes, his arms crossed. "But then I realized I could save time and energy if I just killed you in your sleep." Bulma didn't falter at his threat.

"Well, you didn't. So obviously you didn't want to."

"I wouldn't tempt me if I were you."

"Vegeta,' Bulma said, standing up so that he was looking into her eyes again.

"What!" he snarled, and Bulma could smell his warm breath. It was even better than the eggs he was cooking. She wanted nothing more than to just breathe him in, but now wasn't the time. She could already feel her anger rising.

"You know what? Just leave me alone then, if I'm that much of a burden to you. Just leave me here. I'll make my own way back!"

"And how exactly to you plan on doing that? You have a concussion, and it's causing you to pass out at any given time. You could be almost home and pass out for the next twelve hours. What if you woke up in the nighttime? You wouldn't be able to see where you were going. What if you found yourself being attacked by an animal, or even one of your own kind, since that seems to happen quite often? If you tried to run away, you would be moving your head to much, which would bring the concussion back on and you would pass out again."

"So what? It doesn't seem like you care too much about me. I dare you to do it. I dare you to leave me here and never come back."

"Thanks," he smirked. "I'd be glad to, but I didn't think you would ever make it that easy for me. I'm in your _debt_ , woman," he spat. Then, he stormed off into the woods until Bulma could no longer see his dark silhouette in the distance. Of course he would come back. She sat back down on her makeshift bed. It was only a matter of time before he came crawling back to her on all fours, begging for her forgiveness. She sat there and waited… and waited… and waited… until the sun finally began to set. She pinched her nose between two fingers when she started to feel an intense headache coming on. Then, she shivered from the cold breeze that had passed by. It was going to be a cold night, she deduced from the current weather. She looked around for something she could use as a blanket and found the backpack she used when she was back in elementary school. She smiled at it, then crawled over to see what was inside. The first thing she saw, and was surprised to see was a bathing suit. Why she would need that was beyond her. Vegeta was probably too stupid to realized that bathing suits were for using in the water. The next thing she saw was the Dragon Radar her parents had given her as a present. She wondered if the seven balls actually granted the bearer one perfect wish, as her parents had said. She picked it up and turned it on. She jumped when it started beeping, but smiled when it said that one of the Dragon Balls was only a mile to the north. It wasn't dark yet. She still had about a half an hour of daylight left. She grabbed her backpack and followed the Radar to the north.

When the signal was at its strongest she paused to have a look around. The Radar was showing that the ball was moving at a high velocity… and it was headed straight for her. What luck! She turned around, but there was nothing there. She didn't even know what the Dragon Balls looked like anyway, so how was she supposed to find one? She took another look at the Radar. The ball was still coming towards her. It was almost at her exact location, but there was nothing around her. Then, she heard a screeching sound from above. She looked up to find a giant creature with wings bearing down on her. The only thing her mind registered was how to escape. She had to run, to get away. Those were her instincts, and in desperate times, she knew damn well to follow them. But something in the back of her mind told her not to run, that it was dangerous. However, she didn't have time to think for long because she ducked out of the way of the creature's talons. She ran to the south, the direction she had come from.

Her headache was getting worse. It was as if every step she took increased its magnitude. The pain kept increasing, and it never let up, even a little bit. It stayed constant or it got worse.

"Uhh!" she yelled. What was wrong with her head? The pain just kept coming. She wondered how long it would be before she couldn't handle it anymore. Then what would happen to her? She was supposed to die? Was this really how her life was going to end? (Of course not **big smiles**)

In her fear and anxiety, she did the only thing she could think of to save her own life… and maybe for other reasons as well.

"V—"

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Vegeta didn't know what was wrong with him. He had been circling the same spot for the past few hours. It was as if that meddlesome female was holding him here somehow. He could easily get over the crest of the hill and out of her sight, but he hadn't made it very far before something stopped him from going any further. He knew there was no possible chance of him going back. That would only make the female even more of an annoyance. She probably expected him to come back, but he would scare her first. Leave her alone for a couple days. Watch her fail at surviving until, when she thought all was lost, there he'd be. She would have to accept his help or stay alone. She didn't even know which way was the way he had come. She would get lost and require his help. Maybe he'd wait until one of Freiza's men showed up to kill her, then save her to prove that she was as fragile and helpless as he told her she was. The aqua-haired female was as good as dead without him… and the thought stirred his blood. He couldn't tell if he wanted to take advantage of that… or if that was the reason why he couldn't go any farther away from her… he would never admit it, but he was as good as dead without her, too…

He quietly made his way back to the place he had last seen her to find the clearing empty of all life. She had gone. He should have been expecting that. She would never admit that she needed his help. He should have known that she would try to be tougher than she really was… it almost reminded him of someone he knew… himself, maybe?

He searched for her scent, since he knew it by heart by now, and found that she had gone north. For what reason, he wasn't sure. She probably thought that was the way back home. If she got lost, Vegeta knew that he'd better stick around. He casually walked in the direction of the female's scent and stopped every couple minutes to make sure no one was following him. It was beginning to get dark, so he quickened his pace, knowing it would be harder for anyone, including the female to spot him if he got a bit closer to her. After he felt the female's presence about a hundred yards in front of him, he sat down to rest his eyes.

Then, a jolt ran through him. The female was moving… much faster than she should have been in her current state… much faster than an average person running along. She was running away from something, but in the complete opposite direction. Vegeta stood up and looked around. He couldn't see her, even though the sun was still providing him with a little light. He followed her scent for the hundred yards where he had last sensed her and saw a scuff mark on the ground. She had taken off instantly, without a single thought… of her condition.

He jumped slightly at the piercing shriek of his name being called through the silent woods, scaring a few crows that he didn't know were above him. The female was in trouble… again. He sprinted through the woods, dashing past trees and jumping over obstacles like only a Saiyan could. Why was he doing this? Why was he constantly trying to protect this feeble Earthling as if she meant something to him? Why, when he heard her call out his name, did he know that he had to help the fragile female from whatever trouble she had gotten herself into this time? He didn't know any of the answers to these questions. He just acted. Why, when he saw the flying creature headed directly for the aqua-haired female in front of him, did he instantly snatch her away and kill the predator? Why did he hold the female in his arms as she passed out from the pain from her head? Why did he feel relief when he knew she was going to be okay? …Why did he stay with her for the night, camping up in a nearby tree? …Why couldn't he fall asleep without worrying about her? She was doing something to his head, and some part of him was screaming to get away. That she would be his downfall… That this was how Freiza could hurt him if he let whatever was happening to him continue to go on.

But he had tried to get away from her. He would have gotten away from her. If only nothing was holding him back. He had to take whatever it was and obliterate it. He had to demolish its existence inside of him. Whatever was happening had to stop. He wouldn't try to help her anymore. He wouldn't tell her that she needed water when she woke up. He wouldn't show her any sign that he actually gave a flying fuck about what she wanted.

He was going to do things _his_ way from now on, and the female was going to listen to anything he told her… or she would regret it.


	9. Possessive

**Chapter Nine: Possessive**

Bulma woke up the next morning thinking that the previous day had been worse than what she would feel when she woke up the next morning. But, holy shit, was she off. Her headache had increased in magnitude and she felt as if the whole universe was spinning around her. She felt nauseas as hell and the dizziness wasn't helping in the slightest. She remembered when she was attacked and when she called out for Vegeta. She remembered the intense feeling of joy when he saved her, and she enjoyed having him be the last thing she saw before her eyes involuntarily shut. The only thing left was to be able to see him when she woke up. Looking around as best she could without throwing up on herself, she realized that Vegeta wouldn't let her have everything she wanted. She mentally laughed, for fear that laughing out loud would bring on a whole new wave of nausea. She didn't want to sit up either. In fact, she was almost afraid to move at all.

"Vegeta?" she called.

"What!" he demanded, apparently directly behind her.

"…Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever."

Bulma closed her eyes again, the dizziness becoming too extreme for her liking. "What are we going to do now?" she asked softly.

Vegeta paused before answering because, well, he didn't have an answer. What _were_ they going to do now? He had just reprimanded himself for the past twelve hours about how he didn't want to be controlled anymore by whatever grip the female had on him, and he was already beginning to feel those past twelve hours slip away, as if they hadn't meant anything at all. He didn't want to be around the female and the strange effects she had on him. He hated them because they were unpredictable. It was like an enemy he couldn't see, touch, smell, hear, taste… but it all seemed so real because he could see the female when he looked at her. He could touch her because she was right there. He could smell her because of her unique scent. He could hear her, as much as he didn't want to sometimes. And he could taste her… but that wasn't what the effect were and for some idiotic reason, his mind would constantly relate the two. Almost as if he couldn't tell the difference… was there even a difference?

Anyway, the twelve hours of telling himself not to be controlled all melted away when he heard the female's voice. She had taken his hours and hours of thinking and turned them into something that he now thought was absurd. How could he not protect her? What did she ever do to him that would make it okay for him to just let her die? How could he order her around? She would never listen to him if he barked orders at her… And how could he ever think of hurting her? Although he didn't like the effects she had on him, they were… enjoyable… to a degree. Overall, he couldn't understand why he had thought the things he had. They didn't make any sense and they went against everything his instincts told him. And he didn't want to turn on his own instincts. They were the only thing inside of him that kept him from… Why was he thinking about this now, of all times. His planet was gone. His father was gone. He was controlled by the person who destroyed his future. He had nothing to live for… so why live at all? His instincts told him that he had a few things to live for and he wondered if this female had something to do with it…

So, before answering the question he was presented with, he calmed himself down for a couple seconds and lowered his voice. "We just need to keep moving. If we stop then we're more likely to be found. I don't think Freiza has sent anyone after us yet. That homosexual lizard is probably too lazy to give the order immediately."

"I have the Dragon Radar."

"I know. I packed your bag, remember?"

"We could go looking for all seven. My parents said that the Eternal Dragon will grant one perfect wish to anyone who can find the Dragon Balls."

"First of all, I think making a wish could be helpful if what they told you is accurate. Second, we only need to find six."

"What? Why?"

"That creature that attacked you ate one of them," he stated, placing the small, orange ball in Bulma's left hand, seeing as her eyes were still closed. She jumped and threw it a few feet away. "What did you do that for!" Vegeta yelled, walking over to pick it up.

"That means it was inside that thing!" Bulma screeched. "I don't want to touch it!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and placed the Dragon Ball in Bulma's backpack, taking out the Radar before he zipped it shut. He swung it over his shoulder and knelt down next to her. "Don't jump. I'm going to lift you up. I have most of my energy back from my… experience on the other planet, so I can fly. It'll be faster finding those balls that way." He pulled the female into his arms and she rested her head against his chest. Putting her hands on her stomach, she could feel the piece of skin where the huge gash was through his shirt when he jumped into the air. It reminded her once again of the pain he endured because of her stupidity. She was glad her eyes had to be closed. She didn't want him to see her looking at his face to see if he was in any sort of pain.

"How are you feeling?" Vegeta asked after about fifteen minutes had gone by. They were almost to the next Dragon Ball, according to the Radar. Vegeta had noted how the pink in the female's cheeks had slowly disappeared as he flew through the woods, not wanting to go any higher than the trees for fear of being seen. Not just by people sent by Freiza, but by the inhabitants of this planet. Vegeta knew they couldn't fly, so why bother making them watch someone who can? For many different reasons. One was because Vegeta and the aqua-haired female would be rumored about and people would be able to recognize them and create an easy trail for someone who was looking for them. Keeping a low profile was beyond important. A second reason was that Vegeta didn't want anyone to be jealous. And a third, which was by far the most important to the Saiyan Prince, was that if the female was going to throw up, it was _not_ going to be all over him!

"I'm okay… Could you fly a little lower… And less movement, please?"

Vegeta huffed and landed on the soft ground below. Bulma opened one eye and then the other checking to see if the dizziness would go away. Her nausea was gone for now, but her headache were about the same and she still felt dizzy, thanks to her guard flying so fast. She wondered why he wasn't putting her down. He just stood there, holding her until… she didn't know. Maybe tell him it was okay to fly again. Well, he was going to be standing there for a while if that was what he was waiting for.

Bulma, a sharp pain hitting her right temple, quietly yelped and pushed the side of her head into Vegeta's chest. He jerked back at her unexpected movement and put her down. She wrapped her arms around him and whined into his shirt. Vegeta just sat there frozen until she let him go, but she didn't. The pain made her want to bang her head against a wall. That would have been less painful than the sharp pains that kept hitting her right temple. And it refused to let up, even for a fraction of a second.

Vegeta felt water soaking into his shirt and heard the female crying out for something. He couldn't understand her because her face was pressed into his chest, so he gently pulled her face away from him. Tears were cascading down her face like rapids in a river.

"Help me! _Please_!" she cried and Vegeta froze again. He didn't know what to do. There was nothing he _could_ do. "Please! Make it stop!" she screamed. Vegeta, doing to only thing he could think of to 'make it stop,' and hit her in the side of the head, knocking her out cold. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea he'd ever had, but the feeling of panic that ran through him when he couldn't do anything for her had been the most horrible thing he had ever felt in his entire life. Like he was useless to someone who he… did he?

Picking the female back up into his arms and checking the Radar, he jumped into the air and continued along their previous path. The female having this concussion was starting to be a huge burden. She would be useless for the entire… what was it?... How long was this going to happen? Vegeta knew little about concussions because most of the people who he had known who had gotten one had been murdered by Freiza or one of his henchmen. If a person got a concussion, they were considered worthless and weak in Freiza's eyes. Real warriors didn't get concussions…

The next Dragon Ball was exactly where the Radar indicated it would be. It was hidden under a large thorn bush in a pile of leaves. Vegeta set the female down and crawled under the bush. He grabbed the Ball, getting a couple scratches on his way out. He stood back up and brushed himself off. Then, he blasted the bush for drawing blood. He grabbed the female and brought her a few yards away to a pine tree with shelter underneath it. The next Dragon Ball was at least a couple hours flying distance away and the sun was already hiding behind the mountains. The aqua-haired female had been out for most of the day, so their precious daylight hours had been wasted. He found sturdy branch in the tree and leaned back when he climbed it and it didn't snap off. Then he closed his eyes and let much needed sleep come to him in a rush.

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Vegeta woke up to the weak sound of his name being called. He looked below to find that the female was awake and looking around for him.

"Up here, woman," he said, in a bored tone.

The sun wasn't yet up and Vegeta could still feel that his body wanted more rest than what he had given it so far. He wondered if he would even be able to fall asleep again, what with the female up now.

Bulma turned her gaze to the branches above and smiled at the Saiyan Prince in a very apologetic way. Vegeta could tell that she remembered what she had done the previous day and what he had done to make her pain go away. Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind that he hit her over the head to knock her out. He wasn't in the mood to be yelled at.

Vegeta squinted his eyes to look around but the darkness was too thick to see through. The only thing he cold "see" was the aqua-haired female below him. He couldn't sense anyone else around. Not even an animal was close by. They were completely alone, save for a few bugs on the ground and below the fertile soil of the pine tree. He jumped down to land next to the female. She looked up at him and Vegeta could sense that her face had gotten a bit warmer than usual. He smirked to himself. He was beginning to think that she wasn't the only one who could give the other strange effects, and he was enjoying this new piece of information.

"What are you doing?" Bulma asked.

"It's a little cold up there," he replied, pointing up at the branch he had been sleeping on. He knew she couldn't see his movement in the dark, but he guessed she could relate "up there" with the branch. "Do you mind if I sleep down here?" Vegeta was trying his best not to let out a chuckle, but after asking that, he did it anyway.

"Why are you laughing?" Bulma asked defiantly, although her voice began to falter when she felt him lay down next to her. His hot breath tickled her skin, and, no thanks to the dress, a lot of skin was going unprotected. Oh, yes. Vegeta was enjoying his new piece of information very much.

"No reason," he replied, closing his eyes. He could feel the female next to him shiver although it was a nice warm temperature under the pine tree. He smirked again. This was turning out to be a better 'adventure' than he thought it'd be when they started. "Do you feel any better?"

"Better than yesterday."

"That's not what I meant, woman."

Bulma turned her head to face him. Her eyes were slightly adjusting to seeing things close up, so she could almost see the outline of Vegeta face next to hers. She knew he was facing her because his breath was directly on her. She found herself holding her breath and was afraid to let it out when she knew she would soon need oxygen. Still, she didn't want to.

"Breath, woman," he ordered, feeling her face heat up even more. He knew it wasn't because of him when it became an unnatural temperature.

Bulma's breathing came out in short intervals, barely enough to satisfy her screaming lungs. Her breath hit Vegeta's face so lightly that only a Saiyan would be able to feel it. Realizing that she was being an idiot because of his position next to her, he sat up to let her even out her breathing. He could feel her pulse slowing and her heart lost its rapid tempo. He sighed and laid beck down after a couple minutes.

"Do that again and I'll have to sleep in the tree," he mocked.

"Like the monkey you are," Bulma smirked.

"W-What?" he stuttered. How did she know about that? Did Freiza tell her? Was that what she had been doing while he was being beat on by Dodoria? Listening to Freiza tell her about his race? What lies did she hear come out of that lizard's mouth? What did she know about him?

"Relax," she laughed, "I'm just joking. What do you think you're actually a monkey? If you ask me, I think you need to go back to sleep." She laughed again and Vegeta let out a fake laugh, trying to mimic hers. He stood back up and walked to the tree trunk, grabbing hold of the nearest sturdy branch to lift himself up. "What are you doing?" he heard the female ask from behind. "I was just joking, Vegeta. You're not a monkey, I swear." She giggled at her own statement. Vegeta guessed that she didn't know that much about him anyway, so why should this be any different? He figured she might become suspicious if he acted on what he had just heard.

He let go of the branch and walked back over to the female. He laid down beside her again and turned his head. If he was lucky, maybe this time she would hold her breath for even longer… as if ordered, the female's breathing slowed again until she was holding it in, just like last time.

"Woman, will you breathe!"

"S-Sorry," she said, letting out a breath into the side of his face. The heat made his skin want to jump off of his body. There was still barely any light, but he could see the female's face as his eyes adjusted a bit. After a few more minutes, the female was breathing normally again, each breath sending shock waves throughout Vegeta's system. At one point, he had found himself getting closer to the source of the sweet, warm air. He had forced himself back, but he kept finding that he wouldn't stop. And then, the female had started the same process. As annoying and immature as it was, Vegeta couldn't find the will to stop and the female wasn't helping.

As if giving in, although that wasn't what he would have liked to call it, he didn't stop himself when he and the female were tracking the sources of each other's breathing. This time, he wouldn't stop until he found the source. At least he knew what it felt like. It would be easier to… identify.

The female froze when she realized that it was happening all over again. Vegeta had pulled her closer as his mouth claimed hers in one swift movement. She didn't move in the beginning because of the shock. It was happening again. That was all her mind would register. Not that it was happening, but that it was happening _again_. He was being so gentle that it scared her. Vegeta was the most powerful being on this planet, currently, and he was holding her as if to say that he wouldn't hurt a fly. The gesture was so tender. The embrace was so gentle and his warmth was intoxicating… she couldn't resist him. Her arms made their way to the back of his neck to try to pull him closer to her. She knew it would be useless to try and move him, but he took the message and moved on his own, deepening the kiss as he tried to let her have at least a little control over his movements. He didn't want to have all the fun.

This action, however, didn't just make the kiss more passionate. The aqua-haired female's body was physically responding to his touch. It stirred something inside of her. Her finger tips ruffled his spiky hair as she tried to push the feeling away and just enjoy the kiss, but it wouldn't leave her alone. And when Vegeta's hands found their way to the small of her back and he pulled her middle closer to his, a wildfire began to spread. She felt him chuckle against her lips and her face turned red. He must have been able to sense what her physical body did as well. Her body temperature rose with that thought stuck in her mind. If he knew… then…

Vegeta flipped them both over so that he was on top and pulled one of his arms out from under her to cradle her head in his hand. He felt her soft hair against his face and breathed in her scent. That familiar scent that he loved… he put his free hand under her head to lift her up into him, but froze at what he felt. This was not going to turn out well if he continued. As a Saiyan, the Earthling female wouldn't be able to handle what he would do to her in her current state.

Bulma remained perfectly still when her guard froze. What was wrong? Did she do something he didn't like? Was she not good enough in his eyes. She felt a tear coming on but held it in long enough for Vegeta to roll off of her and explain. He grabbed one of her hands and pushed it back so she could feel the scab on the back of her head… from where she had hit the wall during the ceremony… her concussion… she mentally laughed at herself for thinking that she would be rejected. Vegeta had obviously shown that he wouldn't reject her. She felt stupid… But that wasn't enough to stop a different tear from coming to her eye.

Vegeta quickly gathered the reigns to his breathing and pulled them to a solid halt until they were back to normal. He turned to the female to find her breaths coming in short intervals and tears cascading down her face… he guessed why they were there and pulled her towards him. He didn't want to deal with this right now, but when life gives you lemons, sometimes you just have to eat the fucking lemons.

Maybe it would have done the female some good if he taught her a few lessons like those. Looking down at her sobbing form (he mentally noted the fact that she had been doing that a lot since he first met her), he decided to save it for another time.

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The next morning came slowly, but at last, it finally came and Vegeta was faced with a feeling her had never had before. He didn't want the female going anywhere without him. The thought was utterly confusing to him. The entire time he'd known her, all he wanted was to be around her as little as possible, and now he felt as if she should never be going anywhere without him. Like he was… her guard for life. The thought was stupid and he knew it, but he felt it. And as he watched her sleeping form, he was reassured that he felt it. Every second of every minute of every day… Something was certainly wrong with him. Why was this simple Earthling changing him to the point where he no longer knew who he was. He doubted his entire reason for existence. He didn't know who he was anymore. He felt… possessive of the female. He could now identify the feeling he had at the ceremony. He had been so possessive of her that he didn't want anyone to touch her. More importantly, he had decided that he wouldn't let _his_ woman pick another man to mate with. And, yes, that was what she was. His woman. And he knew that every other female that he had mated with in his previous days of life meant nothing to him. They were all forms of entertainment and pleasure for him. This female was different than all the others. If he was to mate with her those few hours ago, he wouldn't have just done it for those entertainment and pleasure purposes. He would have done it for something else. He didn't know what it was quite yet, but he was certainly going to figure it out.

One thing that puzzled him was the fact that he had stopped when he felt the bloody scab on the back of the aqua-haired female's head. He had felt guilty and worried at the same time. Those were two emotions he would have never felt for any of his past bedmates. If it had been any other female, he was certain that he wouldn't have stopped like that. He didn't know what that meant, but he was going to figure that out as well.

So, the Saiyan Prince had two questions that needed answers and he was intent on finding both of them. If anything, he'd just get that weird dragon to tell him when they collected all the Dragon Balls. A stupid thing to waste a wish on though, so he decided that he wanted to find it a different way.

He smirked, remembering the reactions the female had given him when he touched her the previous night. She had strong and passionate feelings for him and he couldn't blame her. He _was_ the Saiyan Prince… but she didn't know that, did she? Oh, no. More questions. It was a simple fact that every bedmate he'd had knew of his background, thanks to Freiza. He felt that some mated with him because they pitied him… they had died, of course. But most mated with him because Freiza had told them that he was the Prince of a deceased race… that he was all alone, that he was the last of his kind, and stupid shit like that. Freiza had told them that he was experienced, that he had taken many to his bedchambers. He couldn't deny that fact, but those females mated with him because they were seduced by what they thought he could be. By what they thought he already was. The only problem was that Freiza had told them about him. He didn't recall every having an intelligent conversation with any of the females. They had always been open-use-dispose scenarios. He fucked them and then disposed of them. That's all it had been. That was all it had _ever_ been…

But this female had listened to him, had helped him. Had accepted him for the Saiyan that she saw, not for the deceased race he was supposed to rule. Not for some lies she had heard from another. Not for what she wanted him to be. Not for what she hoped he would become. Not to influence him. Not to make him feel guilty. Not to see what she could get out of him… She didn't even know him and yet she still felt for him. She called his name when she was in trouble. She told him the truth over what her parents wanted her to do. She had confidently accepted that she was the cause of a few bad things that had happened to him. She had apologized… she had felt guilty. She didn't know he was the Prince of the dead Saiyan race. She didn't know that he was alone. She didn't know that he was the last of his kind. She didn't know how many females he had been with. She didn't know of all the unknown and forbidden pleasures he and no one else could bring to her in his bed. She didn't know… anything…

He looked down at the sleeping form of the aqua-haired female once again. His dark black eyes stared in to her flesh and buried themselves there, refusing to move. How could he not be possessive of such a creature as her, so vulnerable and innocent…?


	10. Herbs and a Remedy part 1

**Chapter Ten: Herbs and a Remedy**

"Where's the next Dragon Ball?" Bulma asked impatiently as her guard carried her through the air. She hadn't had any feelings of nausea lately, which was a good sign, and the view of the beautiful landscape below was enticing and magnificent, but Vegeta was being a bit harsher than usual. Not just in his temper or tone, but in his grip on her as well. She could already feel where the future bruises were going to be on her skin. One would be on her right side, where his fingers were digging into her rib cage. The other would be on the side of her neck. If it wasn't for her hair in between his hand and her skin, she might have yelled at him to put her down.

"Stop being so stupid, woman. I know where I'm going," he replied bitterly. If anything happened to the both of them, Bulma wished it would be something that involved an outcome where Vegeta would have to let her go. It wasn't that it hurt, so much that it was him who was hurting her. After the couple times he saved her and the moments such as that of the previous night, she wouldn't have thought that he would let anything happen to her, much less harm her himself. She began to doubt that he wanted anything from her, or he did, and was just using her for his own selfish desires. But that would be stupid. As she was well aware, most men wanted a form of release, and she knew that Vegeta was no exception. She knew that he felt how her body had reacted to his, and if all he really wanted was release, then he wouldn't have stopped. But he did, because he knew she could be hurt in her present condition. Then why was he hurting her now? Unless he didn't realize it, of course. But since she last saw him, it seemed as if everything about him had changed. He was much more reluctant to talk with her about anything. He didn't want to be questioned about anything. He acted as if he didn't want her around anymore… as if he never wanted to see her again. If that was the case, then she had only herself to blame. She had caused all of this by telling him that she didn't want to marry any of the men at the ceremony, especially that idiot, Yamcha. Although, what she hadn't told her guard was that she didn't want to marry any of them because she was in love with him instead. She would have never said it to him for fear of him leaving and never coming back. Her heart would have been shattered and torn out, leaving her without a trace of who she would become, or who she even was anymore. She didn't want that to happen if she had told Vegeta that she loved him like no other. If he was going to stay, then he would have to do it because he wanted to. If he knew that she cared for him like she did, then it might scare him away to the point where he never wanted to see, hear, feel or even be with her ever again. But unfortunately, it looked like that was already beginning to happen…

A sharp pain hit her side as Vegeta gripped her tighter. Bulma yelped at the sudden feeling, squirming slightly to try and loosen the tight knot under her rib cage. Vegeta let his hold go just a bit until she stopped moving in his arms. He didn't even look at her or apologize as he continued following the invisible trail through the air. There were no trees for miles. The flat landscape stretched as far as Bulma could see. Vegeta, of course, could see much farther than an Earthling, and even he could see nothing but grass, hills, and more grass and hills. A few animals were scattered around the open plains, nibbling on some weeds or finding bugs under the fresh soil.

"Where's the next Dragon Ball?" Bulma asked again after a few minutes flew by.

"Why don't you go ask someone who cares?" he snapped, still refusing to look at her.

"Vegeta, what's wrong with you! Why are you acting like this, now, all of a sudden! Is it me? Is it something I said or did? Is it something I _didn't_ do?"

"Don't you ever shut up? Maybe that's something you _didn't_ do," he mocked.

"Why can't you just tell me what's wrong? I'd like to help."

"Well then help by shutting your fucking mouth! Don't you know when to stop?"

Bulma knew that if she didn't do something, she would never get to the bottom of this. She had waited an entire day for him to sort out his problems by himself as she didn't talk to him. She had stayed silent for over ten hours, which she felt was more than enough time for him to think about how to fix his problem. It was now her turn to try and solve it for him, since he was obviously sucking at doing it himself. She wouldn't quit this time, like all the others. Vegeta was going to tell her what was wrong whether he liked it or not.

"Don't _you_ know when it's time to shut _your_ fucking mouth?" Bulma asked threateningly, causing Vegeta to pause, mid-air, and look her directly in the eyes. It took some effort on Bulma's part not to falter at his penetrating gaze.

"What did you just say?" he asked sarcastically, as if he didn't actually hear what he thought he did. He was using the fact that he was carrying her to look down at her, as if he was better than her in every way possible. And even every impossible way, too.

"You heard me," she whispered. Vegeta just remained in his position, looking at her with his eyebrows sarcastically raised. Like she just crossed some invisible line that he drew for her. If he actually thought she was never going to cross it, then he was even stupider than he looked.

In the next moment, Bulma was dropped from her guard's arms and was propelling towards the grasslands below. She let out a frightful scream against her own will and tried to spread her arms as if she could possibly stop herself from hitting the ground. He attempts were obviously fruitless, seeing as she was only an Earthling, but before she knew it, she was back in her guard's arms, flying in the direction they were headed before the interruption.

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What strong sense of stupidity was radiating from the female? First she purposefully annoys him to the point where he'd already told her to stop. Then she insults him. What, did she think some good could come out of that? Yeah, right. Next, as if her stupidity level couldn't get any higher, she continues with the insults. She deserved a little scare on his part. She deserved to think that she would plunge through the air for a few seconds, then hit the hard ground below. A little scare would do her some good. Instilling fear in a creature is the first way to get it under control. If it became necessary, he would give the aqua-haired female such a scare that she would be begging on her knees for him to command her on what he would be pleased with. Every action she took would be a result of his orders…

Vegeta realized there was a firm scowl on his face. That was strange. He could have sworn he was smirking…

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"Here," Vegeta called, throwing the small orange ball to Bulma. She caught it and placed it in her backpack with the other two. Three down, four to go.

After their last… experience, Bulma found that her guard had lightened up a bit. After he had caught her, his grip had become less forceful. The bruises would still be there in a few days, but at least they wouldn't get any worse. He hadn't spoken to her since then, so the sound of his masculine voice was a relief to her. He still hadn't apologized for what he had done, but Bulma forgave him anyway. She knew he would probably die before apologizing to anyone, especially her. But she felt that he regretted it anyway, even if he refused to say it or show any signs of it. His pride would always be in the way…

Bulma was about to ask where the next Dragon Ball was, but stopped herself, remembering what happened last time she asked that forbidden question. Although, it did make him loosen up a bit, even if it wasn't in the way she had expected. So, instead of dancing on his nerves, she decided to ask another question.

"What do you think we should wish for when we collect all of the Dragon Balls?"

Vegeta looked over at her in a way that showed that he really didn't want to see her face or have to look at it. The look pierced Bulma's heart like a needle pierces cloth: swiftly, but it will always leave a small mark, even if no one can see it. And Vegeta didn't see it.

"Something to get rid of Freiza," he said, all traces of emotion gone from his voice, "Either giving me the power to kill him, or wishing he was dead." After finishing his answer, he went back to looking at the Dragon Radar as if it held all the answers to the universe. It looked like it had given him the answer to her question, but Bulma was well aware that one perfect wish could never solve every man's problems, especially Vegeta's. Not that he had a lot of problems. It was just…

"Oh," Bulma said, too low for anyone to hear. Well, too low for any Earthling to hear.

"Why? Did you want to wish for something trivial that wouldn't matter when you're dead?" he asked, still looking at the Radar. "Your wish won't do you any good when Freiza's trying to kill you."

Bulma thought about that. "Well, how do you even know he's trying to kill us? The guy back on the planet where I met you said something else. He never said that Freiza was going to try and kill us."

"First of all, I've lived with that pathetic excuse for a maggot for most of my life. When I say he's trying to kill us, I could say many different things to get the message across to anyone who has ever known him like I do. If you don't believe me, then try going to ask him. See what happens."

Bulma looked down, sorry that she questioned him on such an apparently touchy topic. She didn't know how long Vegeta had known Freiza, but he just told her that he lived with him for most of his life. Why would he do that if he disliked him so much? Hoping it wasn't another touchy topic, she decided to ask him.

"Vegeta?"

"What?" he asked, irritated that she wouldn't stop talking to him and having to turn around to look at her again.

"How long have you lived with Freiza?" she asked, hopeful to get the answer, "Where is your family?"

Vegeta paused, staring at her without making a single noise or movement. Bulma thought he looked like he was frozen, but when he answered her, she came out with two conclusions…

"That is a matter which you will never have to be concerned with, so I'd advise not asking anymore if you value whatever little ideas you have of me. My past, present and future have absolutely nothing to do with you, and they never will. There is no possible reason for you to have to ever know. And even if there was, I'd make sure you never found out."

The first conclusion was that this was definitely a touchy topic. The second was that she was going to find out what made the subject so delicate. It wasn't that she felt she had a right to know, because Vegeta had a right to keep it away from her. But she felt like whatever made the topic as fragile as it was was affecting Vegeta in a bad way. Something about her asking made him go on-edge, and she didn't like how that response came about. If it had been something unimportant like his blood type or something than she wouldn't have been so up-tight about the subject. But she was worried about him and the strange reaction he gave her. She only asked about his family and why he lived with Freiza for most of his life. He had also dealt a harsh blow to her conscience by saying that his "past, present and future" had nothing to do with her. Of course it did, though. He had kissed her. Twice. How could she not be part of his life by now? Unless he was just using her…

To answer her own question, Freiza was obviously not Vegeta's father or even a relative, but then why would he live with him? Was Freiza a family friend that his parents gave him to? Were his parents even alive? What was he thinking about before he answered her question with that rude and pompous attitude? Bulma didn't know the answers, but she knew that she was going to find them…

Whether Vegeta liked it or not.

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The next Dragon Ball was found near the end of the day. Bulma hoped a good night's sleep would come to her easily. She hoped her headaches wouldn't come back for a while. There was something she didn't want to have to experience often. Although, she would much rather have one of those headaches than whatever the previous, most painful moment was. She began to wonder if she should try to find a doctor. She trusted Vegeta with whatever he said was wrong with her, but because of his recent attitude and the fact that he certainly was no doctor, she was beginning to worry. For all she knew, he didn't even know what was wrong with her. From her knowledge, a concussion was an injury to the brain and it was caused by a violent hit, like when she hit the wall. She didn't doubt that she had a concussion. She just doubted that she shouldn't be getting treatment for it. She decided that she would go to a town that they had passed only a few minutes before they landed. She wouldn't want to bother Vegeta, especially since she had already gotten on his nerves. So she decided to wait until he fell asleep. It wasn't that she didn't want to make him worry as much as she had the foreign feeling that she didn't want him to come along. She guessed his malice was rubbing off on her. She shrugged to herself and went to lie down on her makeshift bed of soft leaves. Which she made without Vegeta's help, if she might add. He was already perched in the tallest tree, on the tallest branch… farthest away from where she was planning to sleep. Or not sleep, since she was planning on going to the village instead. She would have preferred a city instead of a small village, but sometimes villages were nicer than cities. Not a lot of people, cheaper prices, not that it mattered to her, smaller schools, which she would have preferred over her 200-student classes, the people were nicer to travellers and more likely to help her find her way around, most of the people knew everyone as their neighbor, and overall, villages were a hell of a lot more peaceful than a loud, noisy, smelly, disgusting city… in her point of view. Living in Satan City had really made her hate big cities. Plus, there were no back alleys in villages. To her, that was the best part out of all of them. She wouldn't need Vegeta to save her in a small town or village. If the nearest doctor was in a city she doubted she would be going, but since the village was so close to where they were camping out and they were virtually problem repellants, she knew she wouldn't need a bodyguard when she left during the night.

So, a few hours went by silently, until Bulma heard the Saiyan Prince lightly snoring a good distance away. Bulma stood up, grabbed some money from her backpack and set off in the direction of the village they had passed before. It wasn't completely dark. The moon was almost full and the light coming from it was enough to light her path. The trees in the forest wouldn't block out the light for long. She would have to go through part of the open field to get there anyway. The light from the moon would be strongest there, and she would be able to see almost as if it was midday. She felt a little bad about not telling Vegeta about going to see a doctor when she neared the field, but she knew he would have told her it wasn't necessary. And if she tried to go anyway, he might have tried to stop her. It was better this way. She assured herself that this was the best course of action. She needed treatment from a nurse or someone who knew more about concussions than her or her guard. She then felt a bit out of place. The child prodigy, not knowing a lot about concussions… she should have read more medical books. Her test never taught her anything about how to treat it. She only learned what it was and how someone might get it. Well, just goes to show. Even Bulma Briefs didn't know everything about the world. She cursed under her breath. Out of all the things in the world, why did she have to get the single injury that she had studied the least! It wasn't that she didn't know anything about it. She just found it unimportant. She would never get one in a million years… or that's what she had thought anyway. She had all her bodyguards to protect her from anything. The irony of it all was that one of her bodyguards had been the cause of this injury. Only Vegeta had protected her. Once again, she felt a wave of regret wash over her about her easily irritated but loyal guard. She reassured herself that it was the best course of action to take, going by herself. And it was. It wasn't as if she was running off or upset with him. She wasn't going to a bar to get drunk or to a potentially harmful place like the back streets of Satan City. This was a small village and she was going to see if she needed a specific type of treatment for her injury. If she didn't do this, or was forced not to for that matter, she could very well get even more hurt. She was already a burden to her seemingly pissed off travelling companion. Why not go see a doctor?

Bulma cleared the open field as her thoughts came to an end. The landscape wasn't as pretty when you weren't flying above it, but the moonlight made it a beautiful night. The grass was beginning its morning dew coating. It would take all night to prepare it for the morning, but it was a pretty sight anyway. Up ahead was the village. Pine trees lined the way with a trail for travellers in between them. Birch furs covered the forest beyond the pines and Bulma could hear an owl somewhere in the distance hooting to another. She guessed it had probably spotted a piece of prey for a midnight snack and was telling his friend how he planned to catch it. Father down the trail, Bulma found a small brook with tiny brown fish swimming around. She heard her stomach growl and the fish all scattered instantly. Bulma giggled at their flight.

"I'm not going to eat you," she laughed, but they didn't come back. She made her way to the village gates and a guard with a wooden pike and a spearhead on top greeted her in a friendly voice. He was a big, burly man, so she was taken aback by his innocent tone.

"How can I help you, Miss?" he asked, smiling.

"I was just wondering if I could visit the town healer. You see, I got a concussion a few days ago, and I wasn't sure what precautions I should take. I've already passed out a couple times, and I would like to know how to treat it."

"Say no more. I'll send a man to escort you to our healer. She should be able to fix you up in no time at all," he replied, turning to the gates. "I have a lady who needs to see our healer!" he called through the wood fence to the right of the gate, "I'm letting her in now. Have someone escort her there." The guard turned back to Bulma, still smiling. The gate opened and a man was standing beyond it, waving her inside. He looked to be wearing some sort of armor. Bulma wondered why there would even be guards in such an isolated village to begin with. It wasn't like they had any enemies around them. There weren't any vicious animals in this part of the woods. The as if to doubt her assumptions, a low growl from behind made her jump. She couldn't help but think that something about it sounded familiar. The man didn't seem to notice it, though.

She wondered if they were expecting an attack of some kind. It certainly didn't seem likely, but when she entered through the gates, she realized that there were a large number of soldiers with weapons on the opposite side and they were all wearing armor and had either a sword or gun at their side. What was going on here?

"This way, madam," her escort said, motioning for her to go down a street. He talked in an extremely formal voice, as if she was a queen or something. It wasn't possible that these people knew who she was, was it? Of course not. Her company didn't sell their products to this part of the country. It was impossible for them to know who she was. If she told them she was the heir to Capsule Corporation, they wouldn't understand how important she was… so why the formalities? She wasn't this man's superior. He had no reason to call a woman younger than him "madam," like she was going to sentence him to death or send him to prison for life or something crazy like that.

"How much farther?" she asked. She knew she sounded a little impatient, but she also knew that she was skipping a whole night's worth of sleep to come here, and it was going to be worth it. She would make sure of that.

"Just up ahead, madam," the man said. They rounded a corner and came to a door on the side of a building, "The town healer is through here, madam. Good luck to whatever it is you're troubled with." Bulma nodded her thanks to the man. When she opened the door to the healer's building, he froze and began to slowly back away. His face looked as if he'd seen a ghost as he walked backwards around the corner, the opposite way they had come. Bulma wondered what was going on. Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't help but feel like she was safe. Despite the tiny bit of light and the men with weapons, guarding a territory that seemed to not need any protection against anything.

She entered a building that smelled like portabella mushrooms being cooked to perfection. She could smell the salty seasoning as if it were right in front of her nose. It made her mouth water. Ti wasn't even that she was hungry. It was just that it smelled so delicious. A few pots of boiling water lined the right side of the room. The walls were made of red brick and it the lights were extremely dim. It only provided enough light to see where you were going and the silhouettes of the things around you on the shelves and on the floor.

"I heard you were coming," an elderly lady said, coming into view, "And I heard you have a concussion… and that you've had it for a few days now." Bulma could almost feel a heated reprimanding about to come from the old lady, but one never came. "You should have come to me sooner. Concussions are serious things. An injury to the brain can cause death, young lady. It rates your head up. You're lucky you didn't die in your sleep. That would be the number one cause. People who don't know they have a concussion go to sleep. But they never wake up. But you, you knew you had this injury and you still did nothing. That's very bad, but you're lucky you're here. I can make you something that will make your head feel better. You'll heal faster, too. I can't guarantee exactly how long it will take to be fully healed, but you can rest assured, literally. You will wake up every morning, like nothing was ever wrong." The healer reached for a bottle on one of the higher shelves. "Sit down, honey. I'll only be a little while. Don't worry. I'll have your mixture in a few moments." The bottle held a yellowish powder. She pinched a bit out and tasted it, nodding to herself. She went over to one of the pots of boiling water and dumped a bit inside. She put a few herbs in a cloth bag and let it float on top of the water in the second pot. Alkaloids from dried mushrooms were soaking in oil, reminding Bulma of the wonderful smell in the room. It looked like other stalks of plants had been grated into a pile. She guessed the old lady heard what was wrong with her and had started planning ahead. She probably didn't get too many customers at midnight.

A soft knock came from outside, but it was ignored by the elderly lady and only noted by Bulma.

"Lobella, lobella," the old lady whispered to herself, pointing a bony finger at the shelves. Bulma knew from studying that lobella was a dried plant leaf from a very rare plant. She looked over at the shelves. There were hundreds of square cubbyholes in the wall. It was a small, simple, one-roomed building with little light. It wasn't nearly as well equipped as a hospital, but the lady seemed to know exactly what she was doing, and she had lobella, along with an extensive collection of other things. Bulma knew of a few people back home who would have paid handsomely for something as rare as lobella.

The lady pulled out a small metal tin and pulled out a leaf. She grinded a little pile, about the size of her thumbnail into her palm. After sifting and discarding the fibers, she added it to the first pot of boiling water. She then pulled out a small bottle labeled "yarrow oil", and dumped all its contents into the same pot. Bulma thought she knew about herbs and medicine, but she felt like a lost child watching the old lady work. A chunk of bark was pulled next from the shelves, and the lady dunked it in the pot with the oil in it, pushing the bag of herbs to the side, draining it. She pulled out the bag and dumped the soaked herbs onto the piece of bark, grinding it with a small, flat stone. Then, she dumped the grinded herbs into the first pot and threw the stalks of the miscellaneous plants in after them. She stirred it for a few moments, then grabbed a towel and lifted the pot off the stove and placed it on a metal sheet laid out on the table. She threw a heap of ice cubes inside and sat down next to Bulma.

"Now we wait until it's cooled, or at least until all the ice cubes are melted," she smiled, her eyes closing because of her sagging skin. Bulma wanted to back away from the strange sight, but this was the lady who was going to help her get rid of her head injury so she could go back to her normal life… as normal as it could have ever been, now that Vegeta was in it. "What are you thinking about?' the lady asked, making Bulma looked her directly in the eyes, now that she wasn't smiling anymore.

"Oh. What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about a friend. He's… a little strange." Bulma didn't know how a person went about describing Vegeta to someone. "One moment, he'll be… content with everything around him. I might even get to hold a conversation with him for a few minutes, but it the next moment, he'll be angry at you as if you're ruining his life or something. He's… just a very confusing individual. Sometimes I wish I could dive into his head to see what he's thinking, but he's so unreadable as well. I just don't know sometimes…"

"It sounds like he's confused as well."

"What do you mean?"

"This man you're speaking of, you give his personality on the outside. Not the inside. You just sat here telling me how he acts and how he seems to act in your point of view. You told me you're confused. There's your answer. You don't know him as well as you may think. It seems to me that you want to know him better. Do you perhaps like him?"

Bulma didn't want to tell this stranger how she felt, but everything about her was so inviting. It was as if she actually wanted to help her in any way she could. Bulma wondered if she was the town healer for more than medical purposes. "I guess I do," she replied, "He… I think he likes me back, but like I said before, he's up and he's down. We… kissed… twice, and each time he… you know how when you kiss your first boyfriend ever and it feels great?" The lady nodded and Bulma began to feel a little embarrassed. "Well, I've kissed guys before. I've done it loads of times. But I've realized that every man kisses in about the same way they feel. My first boyfriend was shy, and that's how he kissed me. My second boyfriend was a little aggressive, and he… tried to make things go way too fast for me. Another one was excited that my respond had been yes, and that was how he kissed me. He was more eager than the rest, but not in a bad way. Do you know what I mean?" The old lady nodded again. "But Vegeta… he acts like he doesn't care about anything in the world except his own goddamn pride!" she felt a tear slip down her face and was a little surprised to find it there. Even she didn't know she felt so strongly on the topic. "He's always telling me I'm in the way or ordering me around or some other bullshit that I'm tired of dealing with!" Bulma waited until her voice had calmed down a bit before continuing. "But… the way he kissed me… it was as if nothing else mattered to him in the world. Like he cared about me… like he didn't want anything in that moment but to hold me… It was as if he was trying to tell me something… but then he acts all like a giant jerk in the next minute! Bossing me around like he didn't even care that he just kissed me! Sometimes I want to strangle him!"

"Well… have you talked to him about it?"

"God knows I've tried."

"I think I know what he wants. You told me he acts like he cares only about his pride, correct?" Bulma nodded. "Well, maybe his pride is getting in the way of him telling you how he feels, and he actually _was_ trying to tell you something when he kissed you. Maybe you just haven't realized it yet." Bulma shrugged, thinking about it. "Oh! Look, your medicine is finished cooling off." The lady jumped down from the seat and walked over to the pot, dipping her finger inside to feel the temperature. "Good enough," she said, grabbing a filter from the shelves. She lined a pale with the filter and began pouring the pot's contents on top of the pale. The water seeped through and the herbs and other ingredients were left on the top of the filter. When all the liquid was out of the pot, she grabbed the filter and threw it in the garbage with the things inside of it. She poured a bit of the liquid in a mug and added a drop of hot oil, mixing it around with a red, glass rod. When it mixed as much as water and oil could ever mix, she gave the mug to Bulma. She drank it down in one gulp. It had a nice cinnamon aroma to it, and it tasted sweet and sour at the same time. The oil had made the entire drink warm so it went down easily.

Bulma thanked the lady and exited the way she had come. She turned the corner and made her way back to the front gates, remembering the few turns it took to get to the healer's place. She thanked the guards for being so kind to her and headed back to Vegeta, thinking about what the old lady had said the whole way there.


	11. Herbs and a Remedy part 2

**Chapter Eleven: Herbs and a Remedy pt. 2**

Vegeta could sense there was something different about the female from the way she moved around. Sometimes it looked like she was pacing, waiting for something, but what really got him worried was the fact that she seemed to be avoiding him. As much of a jerk as he acted toward her, she always stayed around him. It was just his aura. He wouldn't blame her. It was true, he was like the center of the planet's gravity to the female. She was attracted to him, and it wasn't just his good looks. He was a Saiyan. All other species were drawn to them like flies to the light. A Saiyan was like a magnet to weaker species because of their natural trade. They would destroy the weak species and sell the now inhabitable planet to another species for profit. It was natural instinct that the female was drawn to him. There was no doubt he would make the perfect mate. He was strong, able to protect a family from any threats. He was intelligent, ready to find any way to keep his mate from harm. There just wasn't any competition. He could protect the female better than any scumbag on this planet. It was only typical that any female, not just the aqua-haired one, would be attracted by what he could offer. It was better than what anyone else could offer her…

When a woman looked at a male, they see than for what they truly are. Either weak or strong. Either stupid or smart. Straightforward or sly. Intelligent or brain-dead, like that scar-faced loser at the ceremony. A female would look at a male and determine who would make a good mate off of physical appearance. It was obvious to him why the aqua-haired female preferred him. Look at what her options were. He couldn't blame her for wanting the best. And it was clear as day who that was.

Then, the dreaded L-word popped into his head. It was also clear as day that females that came from certain planets, including this one, unfortunately, cared about the inside of a person. Vegeta wondered why, when he had first explored this planet on his own, there was a beautiful young woman walking hand-in-hand with some toothpick of a male. The sight was utterly embarrassing. What? Was the male supposed to feel proud that he got such a catch? Survival of the fittest, that's what Vegeta believed in. The walking twig should be challenged for his mate, and when he loses his life attempting to defend her with his scrawny hide, his traits won't be passed on to any unfortunate offspring. The female was fine. She was attractive and walked with a swagger. She could easily move up on the food chain, in his point of view anyway. Her traits should be passed on for sure. It would make the planet in itself a little less pathetic… now that he thought about it, not even attractive females couldmake this planet much better.

But then, what about that forbidden L-word? He knew, as much as he didn't want her to, that the aqua-haired female cared about personality. Why couldn't she just accept the fact that he could support her physical needs. Every single one of them… but a part of him wanted her to choose him. He knew that was absurd. The female never had a right to choose their own mate. Only the males could dominate a female, not the other way around. But he couldn't help but feel the extensive need to have her choose him. The thought, every time it crossed his mind, made him feel extremely stupid and pathetic. Almost as pathetic as the planet he was now on… almost.

But, even so, the way she was currently acting was freaking him out. He wanted to run over to her and shove her against the ground. She had started pacing for crying out loud! What the fuck could she possibly be waiting for? It wasn't as if she was waiting for him. What could he possibly give her?! He would gladly take her back to her bed of leaves for a night of fun, or whatever other name there was for fucking a concubine, but she wouldn't want that. Even if she did want it, he wouldn't give it to her. She was still injured, and he would hurt her with the way he did things. He smirked to himself. He would be too… energetic… for the female in her current state. She wouldn't be able to handle it. He smirked again… then frowned. He didn't give a fuck about the female's welfare. So why wouldn't he take her? It wasn't as if he couldn't at least _try_ to be a little gentler than usual… yeah, right. If he was going to make love to the female, he was going to give her his all. He would never sink so low as to satisfy her needs without satisfying his own. That was bullshit if he'd ever heard it. Then he realized that he'd actually thought the dreaded L-word. Well, making love didn't have to involve love on his part. She could love him or whatever. That was good enough for him. If it gave him the excuse of taking her. Besides, he'd already accepted the fact that he thought of her as his woman. It was only a matter of time before she called him over anyway… She wouldn't dare ignore him for too long. Especially when his temper was reaching the end of its rope. Then, as if on cue, she began to walk over to him. He proudly congratulated himself mentally, but a hard blow to his ego hit when she turned before reaching him to go to her makeshift bed and lie down. What nerve of that female! He deserved her every ounce of attention. He saved her, he protected her, even from himself that other night. He could have hurt her. She wouldn't have stopped him when she felt what he could make her body do, what places he could extract pleasure from, and he knew that. Yet he stopped himself anyway. And what did she do? She walked away from him! She wouldn't even recognize him before she went to bed! Not even any sign that he acknowledged his presence. The female was fucking ignoring him! After all he'd done for her!

What right did she have? Sure, he had been a bit of a jerk during the day, but he was tired of hearing her voice. She had been annoying him. What did she expect…

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she had almost every right to ignore him… it didn't make him like it, though. But he understood. Her weak feelings had been hurt or whatever. Maybe he offended her or something. Whatever. Not like he cared anyway.

Every second that he thought about it made him realize that he did something wrong. He didn't want to admit it, but he had, and a small part of him realized it to the full extent. It wasn't a good feeling when he knew he had offended his woman. When he had hurt his woman's feelings. He didn't want his woman to be upset, especially because of him. He did that? He caused her to ignore him? _His_ woman? …Yeah… He did that alright, and he hated the feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought about it. Although, it did make him feel a bit better when he told himself he'd try to make up for it or if he'd made an empty promise of not doing it again. He climbed up into the branch he now declared his makeshift bed in a single flawless jump. He quickly looked over to see if the aqua-haired female had seen it, but she was turned away from him. For once in his mental rant, he wasn't mad at her, but mad at himself instead. His obsessive nature wasn't her fault. It wasn't her injury's fault. It wasn't the L-word's fault… there was no one left to blame but himself. He had unintentionally cornered himself. Or maybe him subconscious mind had done it intentionally. He cursed himself under his breath just in case his mind was playing tricks on him.

The female was asleep now, he guessed, by the way her body rose and fell with her breathing. He relaxed his body against the tree branch and closed his eyes. Then, he felt a movement near the female. His eyes jerked open and he analyzed the area around her. Nothing was there but her… so that meant that she moved…? She wasn't asleep? Why would she be faking falling asleep? The pacing beforehand… she was waiting for something. The only reason she would have for pretending to be sleep was him, since he was the only other living thing around. So, she wanted him to think she was asleep, huh? Well, he'd find out what she was up to one way or another.

He waited about an hour to make his snoring convincing. Whatever she was planning on doing, she would be eager to do it after he made her wait so long for it. He breathed in slowly, calming his breath and making a light snoring sound. After about a half a minute of that, he heard her get up from the pile of leaves. He had to keep his eyes closed because of the moon's bright light on his face. He focused on making his fake sleep convincing. If he wasn't convincing, the female might just decide to go back to her bed. He wanted to find out what she was trying to do without his knowledge. He wondered if he was being pessimistic and she was just waiting until he was asleep to go for a midnight walk to sort out her thoughts. He knew he wouldn't like to ever be interrupted when he wanted to be alone to think things over.

He felt her coming closer to the tree he resided in. The first thing that popped into his mind was that she was going to try and kill him. He mentally laughed at the thought. If that was really what she intended to attempt to do, she would be in for a big surprise. He had to force himself not to smirk that time. But his amusement failed him when she walked right by him, past the tree, and towards the field where they came from. He tried to remember what was in the direction. The only thing he remembered was a puny town. Why would she want to go to a rotting place like that? What could possibly be there that she wouldn't want him to know about? The first thing that came to his mind for an answer to this question was another male. He felt bile rise in his throat. If she was going to that putrid town to mate with someone, she was going to have hell pay for it. And he was a damn good hell if he'd ever known one. He would first kill the male while he was enjoying himself. Then he'd chop of his balls and order the female to keep them inside her for a few days. He would even check every night to make sure they were shoved deep inside her. As his anger at the female began to rise to dangerous levels, he realized that she had gone from his line of view. He turned around and squinted into the night, looking for her up ahead. The trees were too thick to see very far.

He quietly jumped down from the branch and followed her scent until he came to the edge of the field. He glanced around and found her to the left, walking through the tall grass. He couldn't risk going into the field. What with the moon's light being so bright. If she turned, she would see him instantly. There were no places to hide from a person's view in these fields. He looked up and was startled to see that the moon was almost full. Either the next night or the one after that, he would… He knew the female wouldn't mind knowing a bit more about him, but that? Even if he could hide beforehand, how could he hide when the full moon came out? Sure, he had complete control over himself, but he couldn't just hide behind a tree or something. That was going to have to be given some thought before the next night. He looked towards the female again to see her at the edge of the field. She was leaning on the ground. She looked like she had seen something of interest. Then she looked to be laughing at something. Vegeta wondered what she would be amused at.

He was still in view of her pathetic sight distance, so he held his ground. As soon as she was over the next hill and out of the field, he ran as fast as his Saiyan legs could carry him and made it to where she had been it about a minute. He laughed at how slow she was. She had taken at least ten times more than him, and she even looked like she had been rushing a bit. He had caught a whiff of her sweat. Again, he thought about her mating with another male, only to find how idiotic the idea sounded. The female barely wanted to mate with him, a near deity. Why in the universe would she want to mate with anything less than what she already knew she could have? She had been ignoring him. Was she so upset with whatever he did that she would mate with another male just to prove that he can't have her? No, she was annoying and intruding, but she wasn't the type of person to give herself over to another man to make a point. No, she would have done it some other way… but what way? He intended to find out. He looked to his right to find a small pond where the female had been crouching on the ground. Where she had laughed. This was the source? She had been delighted at the sight of some fish… Vegeta smiled. What an easily amused woman she was…

He hid behind the nearest tree and glanced down the dirt trail at the aqua-haired female. He thought the moonlight made her aqua-colored hair glow… after that though, he thought the moonlight was doing something to his head. He saw her talking to a man at the gate to the stupid little town that apparently deserved more of her attention than he did. He scowled, looking at the ground. Then, a rush of intoxication on the male's part made him let out an uncontrollable growl from deep inside his throat. If that pig-faced Earthling laid one of his ugly fingers on any part of her precious body, he would make sure he paid for it with his life. He couldn't see the man's feelings for his woman, but he could sure as fuck feel them, and he wanted to just jump out and snap the ass-wipe's head from his neck for what the lower part of his body was doing in her presence. What a pig. He could never deserve something as perfect as the aqua-haired female that stood before him.

Then the gates began to open and another male stood, motioning for the female to follow him. Vegeta focused on trying to hear what he was saying to her.

"This way, madam," the man said in an attempt at a professional voice. Vegeta could feel that this man was really feeling a need for her. More than the other one. He let out another uncontrollable growl. This male seemed more likely to do something he wouldn't appreciate to his woman. He decided to stay close behind them. He wouldn't let that scumbag out of his sight with his woman so close to him, walking down dimly lit streets. It was the perfect opportunity for him, and Vegeta would be damned if he let him have it. He could tell that his instincts were dead on when the male reached to grab between his legs when the female wasn't looking. What a sick fucking bastard.

Vegeta walked over to the first man at the gate that had talked to the female, carefully making sure he could still see the female. She hadn't rounded any corners… yet.

"Get out of my way," he ordered the male. He was a bit taller than Vegeta, but his courage was shorter than a mouse. He instantly moved out of the way, realizing the deadly intent through Vegeta's dark black eyes. When he was serious, he made sure his enemies knew it, and he wasn't going to give up his system for this pathetic male. Especially since he wanted his woman. He would be given no remorse from the full brunt of Vegeta's glare when he meant to kill if he wasn't given what he wanted. None of the armed men inside the gate dared to step in his way as he followed the female and that bastard that decided to escort her to wherever she asked to be taken to. He made sure he was close enough to stop him from doing anything, but stayed far enough away so that they wouldn't notice him.

"How much farther?" Vegeta's ears perked up when he heard the familiar voice of the female. She sounded a bit irritated with the male's slowness. Good. She was used to flying with him, which was something no Earthling would ever be able to compare to. She knew what she had right in front of her. Although, hearing her irritation at another male that was so obviously interested in her made him feel the importance of what he had. She was untouchable to this male, and she hadn't even noticed how the bulge in his pants was constantly growing with every flawless movement she made.

"Just up ahead, madam," the man replied, making even more bile rise up into Vegeta's throat. Even the male's voice made him want to throw up all over the street. Scratch that. He would save it to throw up all over the fucker's face. He could smell the stenches of the other women he had been with on him, and it was surprisingly disgusting. Usually, that smell would make him want to snatch any random woman and take her to his bed, but whatever combination this man had been with was putrid and horrible. So, apparently he was so bad in bed that he could only mate with the horrid-smelling women. That was pathetic. He was reaching way too high, hoping to land a catch on his woman. She was hard to get. He would know, although he didn't have much trouble. It would just be hard for this loser.

Vegeta paused when the man stopped in front of a side door. "The town healer is through here, madam. Good luck to whatever it is you're troubled with," the male said, holding onto his precious parts again when the aqua-haired female turned to the door. Vegeta had had enough of this loser. He had showed the female where she wanted to go. Now it was time for him to leave. He put two fingers to the man's back and ducked down so the female couldn't see him around the corner that blocked her view of the rest of the street.

"If you want to live," he whispered in the quietest voice he could manage, "you'll back away slowly. Don't make a single noise or I'll kill you." The man followed the instructions like the coward he was, all the way to the corner until he rounded it and was away from the view of his woman. After Vegeta heard the door close behind the female, he threw a quick punch to the male's face. "Do you know who that was, you bastard?" he asked sarcastically. The male clutched at his now bleeding nose and silently shook his head, rocking back and forth, wanting the pain to go away. Vegeta tisked. What a weakling this idiot was. And he was using _his_ woman as his prey. What a mother fucker. He punched him in the stomach next, making the weakling double over. "That was my mate," he whispered threateningly, the deadly intent ever stronger in his eyes now, "She is someone you can never have, and if you treasure your fucked up life, you will never set your filthy eyes on her again. Do I make myself clear?" The man nodded his head violently, clutching at his nose and his stomach. "Oh, and you won't be needing these anymore," he said sickly. He grabbed between the male's legs and tugged, ripping through the chainmail until he felt blood soak through onto his fingertips and then run over his palm. He could hear the bloodcurdling screams coming from the man for a split second before he ripped out his windpipe, leaving him in the streets to die of either blood loss or lack of air. He would have loved to stay and find out, but he had more important matters to attend to.

He went back to the door where the female had entered the building through. He listened attentively to what he could hear inside. He got the general idea that the female had come here because she was worried about her head injury. That made him feel like a pile of cow shit. She felt she had to sneak away from him to treat her injury? Was that really what she had thought? If she had just told him where she was going and for what reason, he would have escorted her here himself. Why would she go all alone? Did she think he wouldn't have let her or something? Did she feel like he was going to do her harm if she had wanted to go? Each new question raced through his mind like needles, piercing him as they went by. He now knew that he had done something terribly wrong to make the female feel this way, and he wanted desperately to change that. She shouldn't feel that way towards him.

"What are you thinking?" a voice of some old lady came to his ears, making him strain to hear the female's voice again.

"Oh. What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about a friend. He's… a little strange." Huh? Was she talking about him? "One moment, he'll be… content with everything around him. I might even get to hold a conversation with him for a few minutes, but it the next moment, he'll be angry at you as if you're ruining his life or something. He's… just a very confusing individual. Sometimes I wish I could dive into his head to see what he's thinking, but he's so unreadable as well. I just don't know sometimes…"

There was a thought to consider. She thought he was angry with her. It was true that he was angry, but he had falsely directed it at her, blaming her for his problems. He had already concluded before that it was solely his fault and his fault alone.

"It sounds like he's confused as well." That was the old lady's voice again. Vegeta guessed she was some type of nurse or something.

"What do you mean?" The female's voice again.

"This man you're speaking of, you give his personality on the outside. Not the inside. You just sat here telling me how he acts and how he seems to act in your point of view. You told me you're confused. There's your answer. You don't know him as well as you may think. It seems to me that you want to know him better. Do you perhaps like him?" Wow. Vegeta could tell that this lady was a hell of a lot more experienced than the aqua-haired female. She might have as well been blonde. This old bag just told the female what was wrong. She didn't know anything about him. He hoped she would take the message wisely. But, the main thing that caught his attention was the question she had just asked the female. Vegeta already knew the obvious answer, but he just wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to hear it in the sound of her voice, instead of his own thoughts.

"I guess I do. He… I think he likes me back, but like I said before, he's up and he's down. We… kissed… twice, and each time he… you know how when you kiss your first boyfriend ever and it feels great?" There was a pause and Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Well, I've kissed guys before. I've done it loads of times." There was something that made him want to go around killing innocent women and children. "But I've realized that every man kissed in about the same way they feel. My first boyfriend was shy, and that's how he kissed me. My second boyfriend was a little aggressive, and he… tried to make things go way too fast for me." There was something else that made him want to kill every male on this pathetic planet. "Another one was excited that my respond had been yes, and that was how he kissed me. He was more eager than the rest, but not in a bad way. Do you know what I mean?" Vegeta just pressed his head against the door, resisting the urge to bang his head against the brick wall behind him. What was he doing? Listening to girl talk! This was the stupidest thing he had ever done. Listening to an old hag and an inexperienced young female talk about their boyfriends. Gah! He was really hating his life at that moment. Then another question popped into his head. She had just told this hag that she had many boyfriends in the past… How did he know if she was experienced or not? For all he knew, she could have slept with every male she just mentioned, and maybe even more. Surprisingly, he didn't feel jealous of the males. Instead, if she actually had mated with them, two feelings became present. One was pride. He was proud to have a mate that had taken and rejected the males she had wanted. The second was excitement. He had been prepared to give her the time of her life, but he wasn't expecting to be set into a realm of pleasure along with her. The possibility made him want her even more.

"But Vegeta… he acts like he doesn't care about anything in the world except his own goddamn pride!" Vegeta thought he could feel a sad aura coming from inside the room. It felt mixed with a bit of anger. He bit his bottom lip, patiently awaiting the next time the female spoke. "He's always telling me I'm in the way or ordering me around or some other bullshit that I'm tired of dealing with!" Another long pause. Vegeta began to become impatient. "But… the way he kissed me…" His ears perked up. "It was as if nothing else mattered to him in the world. Like he cared about me… like he didn't want anything in that moment but to hold me… It was as if he was trying to tell me something…" Another pause. "But then he acts all like a giant jerk in the next minute! Bossing me around like he didn't even care that he just kissed me! Sometimes I want to strangle him!" Vegeta chuckled. He'd like to see her try.

"Well… have you talked to him about it?" The old hag's response.

"God knows I've tried." The female sounded weary about the subject. Vegeta could tell she was finished talking, so he backed away from the door, deciding that he'd snooped around enough for one night. So, what? She had tried to talk to him about all of this shit. Thank the non-existent God that he didn't listen! What an argument that would have turned out to be! Sure it would have been fun for him, but he would just make the female hate him even more. He hoped she would take some of the hag's advice. Definitely not all of it, but some of it would do her some good. He slowly made his way back to the dead man in the street, right where he left him. It wasn't like he could move, anyway. Vegeta dragged the bloody corpse off the streets and into a back alley so no one would see him until the morning after.

He was going to make sure he and the female were long gone by then…


	12. Reunion

**Chapter Twelve: No Regrets**

Bulma finally made it back to the campsite after her small adventure through the wilderness on her way back. The old lady in the village had been very helpful. Bulma noted that she hadn't felt a single throb on the return journey. She was certainly glad she didn't go all the way out there for nothing. It was a huge relief when the pain was gone. She only wished that her anxiety would go away as well.

She stole a fleeting glance in the direction where she last saw Vegeta before she left without him knowing. She let out a held breath as quietly as she could when she found his silhouette in the same position it was in when she left a couple hours ago. Her relief couldn't have been imitated even if she tried. A she was so glad that she wouldn't have to explain anything to him. It wasn't as if she wouldn't tell him the truth. It was just that she desperately wanted to go to bed. She would trade telling him where she went the following day if she could get at least five or six hours of sleep. Knowing Vegeta though, she was bound to be woken up in two or three hours to "save daylight," or "get an early start." What a load of crap that was. She would rather take her chances at knocking him unconscious instead of getting up at such an early hour.

The moon was still shining brightly. Bulma could clearly see the shadows of the tiny blades of grass in the meadow-area beyond the campsite. The light of the moon didn't seem to penetrate the area that Vegeta was sleeping in or a lot of the current area for that matter. Bulma's makeshift bed of leaves had a bit of a lighted tint to it, but it seemed as if Vegeta picked the darkest part of the woods to sleep in on purpose. Bulma didn't doubt that he would do such a thing. It was just that it pelt funny not being able to see him and his features very clearly. It made her heart hurt in the slightest bit when she looked over at him again to find that she couldn't stare at his striking face while he slept. He never looked as peaceful when he was awake. Maybe that was part of the reason why her heart felt a small twitch. Although, she could still see his silhouette in the darkness aligned with the tree branch he was sleeping on. She could still find herself staring at that for what seemed like an eternity.

She walked over to her bed of leaves and sat down. But when a dried leaf crackled under her weight, she froze. She didn't even breathe. Her entire form went as solid as a statue and she unwillingly looked up to see if Vegeta had woken. She already knew that he came from a species that was more perceptive than hers, so her first assumption was that he would be woken up easily because of even a mouse creeping by. She let out another held breath to find his form still in the tree. She leaned back until she was sure it was safe to lie down without hitting another dried leaf, then rested against the cool ground. It was a warm night, so the cool earth felt good on her back, through her thin shirt.

She turned to one side and invited sleep to her mind. She could feel it coming to her very quickly, but then felt an unknown feeling. It felt like something unnatural was happening. Like something that was right really wasn't. Then, the area around the campsite darkened ever so slightly. Bulma slowly lifted herself into a sitting position and looked around. Everything but the light was the same. She looked over at Vegeta's tree branch to find his silhouette still there… or was it? She squinted into the night and through the darkness, but couldn't pinpoint where he was because of the change in lighting. It had only gotten a bit darker where she slept, but it seemed as if the darkness of hell had completely swallowed the area where Vegeta had been sleeping. She squinted again, leaning forward to try and see a little better.

"Looking for someone?" a familiar masculine voice asked from behind her. Bulma jumped so much that she was standing when she had finally calmed down. She whipped around to face him and demand to know what his problem was, but he was in the lighter area of the campsite now. She could see his face, and it didn't look angry or upset in the slightest way. In fact, he didn't even look like he was in the mood to talk with her. "Where have you been, woman?" he asked, when Bulma just stood there staring at his unfathomable expression.

"I… went out for a walk," she stammered. Then she wondered why she didn't just tell him. Didn't she tell herself that she would have told him the truth if he had asked her? Now she was lying, and she unfortunately knew why. She had been caught off guard by his presence and his expression. If he had been angry when he asked, she would have been all fired up to argue with him; but his bored and blank expression took her completely off guard. "Wait," she said, planning to correct herself, and keeping in mind what the old lady had told her. After she left the village, she had promised herself that she would take the lady's advice into consideration when she remembered it. And now was one of those times. "I went to the village we passed earlier, yesterday, right before we set up camp. I went there to see if someone could fix my head injury, and I think it's gone. Whatever the healer did worked. I don't think my headaches will be coming back anytime soon." Bulma looked at her travelling companion confidently, but her expression faltered when she saw that his was still the perfect bored look that he had been wearing before.

"And you didn't tell me… why?" he asked, talking as if he was her father, giving her a lecture because her mother had told him so. He seemed like he was just putting on a show, and Bulma wondered why that could possibly be. Could he just be tired? Was he annoyed to the point where he just wanted to be left alone? What the hell was wrong with him?! His usual arrogant and prideful attitude wasn't even leaking through. His eyes even rolled a bit, as if he was being forced to do something embarrassing. Bulma pulled herself together and got back her confident attitude before responding to his question.

"I didn't tell you because I thought you wouldn't want me to go. And, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or anything, but after the way you treated me yesterday, I didn't _want_ you to come with me. I was also a little worried that you would be angry for… well, I don't know how to put this… for me making a decision without your consent, you know? You always seem so controlling, and I couldn't take the chance of you not letting me go. I mean, the healer that helped me in the village told me that I shouldn't have waited this long to get my head checked out… And that was partially your fault because you gave me the impression that I was fine, and—" Bulma stopped when she realized she was just rambling off random thoughts that popped into her head. She looked up at Vegeta again to find his expression was more like the person she knew him to be. A firm scowl was placed on his face, deepening his angry expression. Bulma could blame him for being angry. She did just say a few things that she was well aware he would have never liked to hear.

"Why do you have to be so stupid sometimes, woman!" he yelled, and Bulma was a bit relieved to find that there was nothing wrong with him after all. "I'm not here to kill you!" he shouted, his voice getting louder by the second. But that statement took her by surprise. It just wasn't something she would have ever expected to come out of his mouth. "Why in the world would you think that I wouldn't let you leave if that was the reason!" He took a vicious step forward, and Bulma once again related him to her father. The feeling in the pit of her stomach now was the same that she got when her father yelled at her when she was a child. She acknowledged that previous feeling as respect and fear for her father, but the one she was getting now was just fear. Vegeta was scaring her. The full force of his glare was forced upon her, and she could clearly see why a person would understand him as a threat, just from his eyes alone. "I would have escorted you there myself if you told me where you were going!" Bulma felt the fear slipping away when he said that. Did he just admit that he cared about her… or was that just her imagination? "But you had to be an idiot about it and go on your own! Have you forgotten that there are people out there who are trying to kill you!" Did he really care? Was that what this was all about? "You're a pathetic Earthling who can barely carry her own weight around! If you haven't realized it yet, woman, get this simple fact through your thick skull! I am the only thing that can stand between you and Freiza! Not time! Not even distance can save you! You going off on your own just further proves how much of an idiot you are!"

Bulma found herself smiling on the inside. There was definitely nothing wrong with him. That was for sure. But the fact that he had told her that he would have come with her if she told him where she had been going made her feel a bit guilty. He said he wouldn't have stopped her from going, but he would have escorted her there instead. Did he still consider himself her bodyguard? Was that it? She didn't know, but the inward smile made her heart sing. For whatever reason, she didn't really care in the slightest. Bulma was happy, and she didn't know why she felt like that after being yelled at. She clearly remembered the old lady's advice now, and she cherished it. At that moment, the healer's advice was like gold to her. She wouldn't trade it for the world.

Then, she took a slow step forward, coming only inches away from Vegeta's chest. He didn't falter. Bulma mentally laughed. Was he waiting for her to yell back at him? If he was, he was in for a big surprise. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around her companion's waist. She felt him jump a little at her response. He hadn't been expecting it to be a hug. _There_ was something that Bulma thought was clear as day. She squeezed him into her and let her head rest against him. He still didn't move. He wouldn't respond. But Bulma was just glad that he wasn't pulling away for the time being. She took careful measures to cherish the moment, just in case it was over before she wanted it to be. Knowing Vegeta, it could be over anytime he pleased.

She was unhappy that he was just standing there, seemingly waiting for it to be over, but she didn't mind. As long as he didn't push her away. She gently brought her arms up to be able to place her hands on his shoulder blades. When they reached their destination, she pulled herself closer to him, knowing that trying to move _him_ was never really an option at all. She pushed the side of her head into his tight blue shirt, breathing in his scent. It surprised her how much she could miss one person after being away from them for only a couple hours. Maybe it wasn't just that though. Maybe it was just that it was Vegeta that she was away from. She had been away from her parents and her previous bodyguards and her maids for almost a week now, and she would never miss them like she missed Vegeta. It was actually scary to her. It was unhealthy to want to be around the same person all the time. But this was different. She could feel it. She wasn't just holding him now because she missed him before. It was for other reasons as well. Reasons she couldn't even begin to comprehend. And just when she thought it was time to let him go and take a step back, she felt a firm but gentle hand on her lower back, pulling her closer to him. That single hand made her heart do a backflip. Vegeta didn't even seem like he cared, but his hand on her made her want to forget the world she lived in and create her own, with just the two of them. She knew it was a silly idea, but she couldn't help but wish for it. Anyway, they could at least be in her own world for the time being, because it certainly felt like it. She was on cloud nine.

When Vegeta let her go after a few seconds, telling her in his own way to get off of him, Bulma stepped back, feeling like her entire life just blew past her. Her hands were still on either side of his waist as she stepped back. Vegeta just stood there again. He already made it clear that he was done, so Bulma played nice and returned her hands to their lonely place by her side. She mentally laughed again. _Of course Vegeta wouldn't like a hug_ , she thought, _only girls like hugs_. She laughed again, this time out loud, earning herself a skeptical look from Vegeta. He was looking at her as if she was laughing about dying in a few days. That only served to make her laugh even more.

"We have to leave," Vegeta stated flatly, ignoring her now. Apparently, he had just remembered something that was important. " _Now_ ," he added.

"Why?" Bulma asked, wiping a tear off her face.

"You're just going to have to listen to me this time. I'm not explaining anything." He turned around and started to walk back over to his branch.

"What are you doing?" Bulma asked, getting a bit suspicious.

"Just listen to me, woman! Pack your things. Whatever isn't ready in one minute gets left behind. And that includes you."

"Ha-ha. Very funny," she replied, turning to her things. Her backpack was next to her bed of leaves and her things were all in it already. Good. She didn't have to pack up.

One minute went by and Bulma watched as Vegeta walked over to her and threw her backpack over his shoulder with grace to be admired and perfect fluency. Bulma even loved watching him walk. Every movement he made was elegant in its own unique way. He never failed to make her heart skip a beat. That was for sure. Then, he flawlessly lifted her into his arms before jumping into the air and flying up over the trees. Bulma looked at his facial features, now that the moon's bright light was shining directly on it, showing every perfect line.

"Isn't the moon beautiful tonight?" she asked, and Vegeta froze, mid-flight. Oh, shit. He still had to tell her about that, didn't he? And the moon would be full tomorrow night. Great. He would have to tell her later today, since yesterday was only about an hour ago. "What is it?" she asked, when he started flying forward again.

"Nothing… I'll tell you later," he replied, looking straight ahead. Bulma wondered how far his sight actually went, especially during the night.

"Where are we going? You don't even know where the next Dragon Ball is. You may be flying away from the next one we have to get. Do you want to stop and take a look at the Radar really fast?"

Vegeta nodded and made to land in the middle of the grassy area below them. Vegeta set Bulma's backpack down so she could go through it. When she found the Dragon Radar, she immediately turned it on and looked for the nearest signal.

"Oh," she said, getting a reading, "It looks like you were going to right way anyway. It wouldn't hurt to go a couple degrees northwest though. That would take us a bit closer. Can you judge how far you're flying, because it looks like we're about thirty miles away. That's not that bad." Vegeta nodded again and grabbed Bulma's pack, setting it on his back, then picking her up after to cradle her in his arms.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma awoke the next morning to find the sun almost in the middle of the afternoon sky. There weren't any clouds either and the weather was a perfect eighty-five degrees. There was a slight breeze every now and again as well, making the atmosphere that much more enjoyable. She jumped though, when she felt something hard moving along her stomach. She grabbed at it to find that it was a shiny seven-starred Dragon Ball. She smiled to herself. That was the fifth one. Only two more to go. She sat up and looked around; but to her dismay, Vegeta was nowhere to be found. She guessed he left to be alone. _Probably taking a walk or something_ , she thought. She stood up and walked over to her backpack, looking inside for something to do. She found the Dragon Balls, the Dragon Radar, a bottle of water and her clothing. Unfortunately, there was nothing to entertain her in her extremely bored state of mind. Then, she found something she had forgotten she even had with her, thanks to Vegeta. It was a bathing suit. It was the perfect temperature for a swim as well. All she needed now was a pond or a lake that was preferably not infested with bugs and slimy plants that floated to the surface of the water. Taking another thorough look around for her previous bodyguard and not finding him, she quickly undressed, put on her bathing suit, and put her clothing back on over the bright blue two-piece wonder. It fit her form perfectly and showed plenty of skin. It was no wonder Vegeta picked this one out of all of the choices in her dresser. She was, after all, rich, so it was common sense that she would have many pieces of clothing for any occasion, no matter how crazy it seemed. And there had been some crazy parties she had been forced to go to.

She left her backpack where it was and headed off. She was bound to find a suitable water source for the situation, being that the plants and the trees were so green and colorful in this area of the forest. There had to be a big supply of water around to keep the foliage so beautiful in this area, so she was bound to come across something that at least looked to be promising. And Vegeta wouldn't mind… she hoped. She wasn't doing anything that was out of the ordinary. She was just going for a swim on a hot day. It was normal. He would have to have something wrong with him if he yelled at her for trying to cool off a bit. Anyway, even if he did get angry, Bulma doubted anyone could stay mad at her for long with such a revealing bathing suit on. It barely left anything to the imagination at all. Vegeta wouldn't be upset. In fact, he'd probably try to cool off with her as well. Bulma satisfyingly put a smug look on her face. She had a weapon against that powerful guy, and she would be dead before she didn't use it on him even a couple times. It wasn't even a bad thing. It might actually work out to both of their advantages. In fact… she wondered if Vegeta had the same thoughts as her when he found out that she no longer had a concussion… and he didn't have to be afraid of hurting her if… they…

"Holy shit!" Bulma cried out, looking at the sight before her. A small waterfall cascaded down into a perfectly blue lake that stood directly in front of her very eyes. It was a pure paradise. Green trees lined the water and magnificent colored flowers outlined the edge of the lake to her right. The air even smelled perfect. The entire atmosphere made her want to just dive in. She took of her baggy clothing and twirled around in her bathing suit, showing off to herself at how fabulous it looked on her. She silently thanked her parents for the perfect genes to look the way she did. She walked to the edge of the bright blue lake and looked over at the reflection of the sun compared to the one in the middle of the sky. She smiled big, and then jumped in, letting out a cry of excitement as she hit the water, her arms spread wide.

She swirled around in the water for a few seconds before she noticed someone on the other side. It was a man and he was staring directly at her. Bulma felt chills go up her spine, and the water wasn't even that cold. She swam around in one place, making sure that the man on the other side stayed in her line of sight. The sun was directly behind him, so all she could see was his silhouette. Again, another chill went up her back. She quickly climbed out of the water and stood on the grassy edge, dripping wet. Her hair was matted down against her head.

Then, the figure started to move. It began to walk around the edge of the lake… straight for her. More chills came and Bulma heard her heart beat harder against her chest. She wondered if she should start running, but her legs told her that it wasn't time yet. Something about the man made her think he was familiar… but where had she seen him before?

"Miss Bulma?" an innocent little voice called to her and Bulma's fears all dissipated as quickly as the wind.

"Goku?!" she asked, excited, but also curious as to why he was here. A part of her still told her to run away.

"Miss Bulma! Your father and mother are worried about you. I was sent out to find you. They said you'd been captured by the man that assaulted you at the ceremony. Are you alright? How did you get away from the guy that took you away?" Bulma felt a little awkward standing in front of her previous bodyguard without anything on but a bathing suit. She remembered many times in which them slept in the same bed together as children. He had protected her back then as well, but the memories didn't do anything for her now. She still felt uncomfortable standing there like that… But even so, Goku's eyes never travelled from her face.

"Goku, calm down. I'm perfectly fine, and Vegeta didn't _capture_ me. I came of my own free will. We're… uh, just looking for the Dragon Balls. My father gave me a Dragon Radar, so I figured I'd use it."

"Vegeta? Is he here with you?"

"I actually don't know where he is right now. I remember falling asleep with him around, but when I woke up, he wasn't there anymore. I think he just went for a walk." The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Vegeta might be hurt, lying on the ground somewhere, waiting for her to come and help him… But she was here… swimming and enjoying herself.

"You mean you're all alone! He left you by yourself? You should have asked one of us to come with you instead. He isn't even around! What if you got hurt, Miss Bulma?! You'd be all alone!"

"Yeah right, you maggot," Vegeta's voice called from a nearby tree. Bulma looked up. She instantly felt silly. There really wasn't any valid reason for her to be concerned about Vegeta. Besides, he'd probably die before admitting that he needed anyone's help, let alone hers. "You really think that I'd ever leave her unguarded? I'm nothing like you and your pathetic excuse for friends that like to play bodyguard. I'm _always_ there."

"Hey!" Bulma cried, "Were you spying on me?! Get down here, right now! How dare you! You've got some nerve!"

Vegeta chuckled as he jumped down to the ground. Goku's jaw dropped when he landed flawlessly on his feet from the high branch he had been looking at them from. He proudly walked over to the two of them.

"So the old man wants his daughter back," he stated, obviously mocking Goku. "Too bad. She needs better protection than what you scumbags could ever give her; and that's me. I'm not some dog on a leash like you, either. Where I go, she goes; and not the other way around. So you can run back home to your master and tell him that his little girl is taking an extended vacation. Permanently."

"Ve _ge_ ta," Bulma said not liking the idea of never returning home. Besides, where would she go? Where would Vegeta plan on taking her? Then she rethought the question. No, she wasn't Vegeta's prisoner. She could leave if she wanted to… couldn't she?

"Shut up, woman."

" _Excuse_ me? No, I will _not_ shut up! All of this has to do with me, so I'm going to talk if I have something to say about it!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes, evidently expecting her to be quiet when he told her to shut up, and then quickly realizing how stupid the idea now sounded.

"How dare you talk to Miss Bulma that way!" Goku said, stepping forward.

"Goku, _no_ ," Bulma forcefully said, and Vegeta smirked at her. They both knew very well that if a fight started… well, it wouldn't be much of a fight. "Stop it. Don't fight. That goes for both of you." She scowled at Vegeta, who frowned. He didn't like the fact that his woman felt so protective of this male. He turned his attention to Goku so that he could look him over. He had a well-built body, but it was clear as day that he wasn't as smart as he was big. How could the aqua-haired female care so much about such a brainless Earthling? He couldn't even compare with someone like Vegeta. He didn't even come close. A part of him just wanted to blast him into oblivion for stealing so much of the female's attention away from him. She was his, and he'd be damned before another male took any part of her away from his grasp. No. he'd be _dead_ before he let that happen. The female was his and his alone. She was something that he would never share. No matter what he got in return. It wasn't even that he minded if she wanted to go get a wider variety of males to entertain herself. He would mind if the male didn't have her consent and he would be furious if the male, such as the one standing before him, distracted him woman to a point where she wasn't even paying any attention to him anymore. That was just uncalled for, and he wouldn't stand for it.

"How are my parents doing, Goku?" Bulma asked, curious as to if they were angry at her or not for leaving without telling them anything about it.

"They're just worried, that's all. Their main concern was your friend here," he smiled at her and pointed to Vegeta. He silently growled. How dare he smile like that at _his_ woman. Who did this guy think he was anyway? "Other than that, they're doing fine. Like I said before, they're really just worried for your safety and well-being."

"You can tell them that I'm fine. Oh, and tell them that we're collecting the Dragon Balls. Tell my father that the Dragon Radar works perfectly, and thank him for it for me, okay?"

Goku paused.

"Well?" Vegeta frowned, "Get to it." Bulma shot him a warning glare, but only earned herself another smirk.

"Actually," Goku said uncomfortably, "I'm supposed to bring you back home with me. You know, the ceremony and all. Yamcha was your parents' final choice. The wedding is scheduled for a couple days from now. You need to get back as early as possible."

"Y… Yamcha…? But… I thought the ceremony was cancelled… I thought…"

"She's not leaving," Vegeta said authoritivly.

"Yes, she _is_ ," Goku replied, with just as much force. Bulma knew that when Goku set his mind to something, there was no turning back for anyone. She just hoped that his mind wasn't yet set all the way. She walked forward to stand in between the two of them. She faced Vegeta and placed both her hands on his chest. He looked her up and down, reminding her of what she was wearing. Her face got a bit hotter. He really did have some nerve.

"Stop it," she told him, "Please. I don't want anyone getting hurt, Vegeta." He smiled at her and she hated it. They both knew that by 'anyone,' she meant Goku. Why did he have to smile about that? Sure, he was strong, but that was no reason for him to be proud of his ability to hurt one of her best friends in the entire universe.

"Miss Bulma," Goku said, "I would appreciate it if you stood behind me." _That_ statement made Vegeta burst out laughing.

"Stop it!" Bulma cried, pounding her fists against him as he laughed. This wasn't funny. This wasn't a joke. This wasn't one of Frieza's men trying to bring her any harm. Why did Vegeta have to do this to her? Why couldn't he understand that what he was doing was hurting her?

In an instant, she was grabbed around the waist and shoved back, away from the proud, laughing male in front of her. Goku had grabbed her and shoved her behind his back. He expected a fight… Vegeta would give him one.

"Stop! Please! Vegeta, please don't!" she cried, tears falling down her face. She could feel her heart rate speed up. If things went the wrong way, Goku could be killed. She prayed to the non-existent gods, as if they were real, that Goku wouldn't be hurt.

In another instant, she was grabbed again. But this time, she was lifted off the ground and placed down on a tree branch.

"Stop crying, woman," Vegeta said into her ear, holding her tightly around the waist.. Her legs were wobbly on the branch. She wouldn't have been able to stand on her own for more than a few seconds before plunging to the ground below. His indecent posture showed that he purposefully brought her to a branch in which she couldn't stand on her own. She didn't find herself minding all that much though. His hot breath on her bare neck flowed down between her breasts. At that moment, she wished that she had never even seen the bathing suit in her pack. She wished the lake had never been there, too.

"Hey!" Goku called angrily, "Get down here! Bring Miss Bulma down here right now!"

"Sorry, but I have better things to do than listen to you whining and complaining all day long." Vegeta smirked, and then jumped into the air with Bulma in his arms, flying down in the direction of where Bulma left her backpack.


	13. Blast from the Past

**Chapter Thirteen: Blast from the Past**

Bulma was set down on the ground swiftly after they had landed. Vegeta seemed to be in a rush. She guessed that he didn't want to have to hear from Goku again, so he wanted to get as far away from him as necessary.

The news that her parents were worried about her made Bulma feel like she betrayed them. After all, they were her parents. They raised her to be the person she was today. They taught her what was right and what was wrong. They gave her food and shelter and clothing and provided her with the best life anyone could ever ask for. And plus, without them, she would have never met Vegeta.

And what did she do to thank them? She ran off with a man they barely knew. To them, Vegeta had captured her and had taken her away from them. To them, Vegeta was the enemy… That wasn't what she wanted. She had run away from her fate. Her whole life, she was told about the ceremony that every member of the Brief's bloodline went through. Her father met her mother that way. She was raised to believe that she would meet her soul mate at the ceremony. She was taught that there were no better men in the world than the ones she would meet at the ceremony. She had to admit, when she was younger, she found herself excited about it. She had actually thought that her life hadn't started until she met the man of her dreams at the "all-important" ceremony.

To be honest, she had met the man of her dreams at the ceremony, and sometimes she felt like that was the day that her life really began. But, of course, there were rules. One of them being that you had to choose one of the males that your parents had accepted as one of the Brief family member's "contestants." Bulma had chosen Vegeta… and currently, her parents hated him.

Vegeta had told her that he kissed her just to get her out of the situation, but ever since that kiss… Bulma had never been the same. And she felt that the kiss meant more than just what Vegeta said it did. She had seen him glaring at a few of the other males. He had been jealous of them. He had wanted her for himself, and he had used the excuse of helping her to make sure that no one else could have her.

She realized that the ceremony was irrelevant. She would not marry one of those men when the one she wanted stood right in front of her. And _Yamcha_? Why the hell did her parents pick that one? Out of all of the bachelors that had been there, Yamcha would have been the dead-last on her list. Besides, her parents didn't know Vegeta. If they met him, maybe they would change their minds… Bulma sighed. That was a hopeless battle. Her parents were probably extremely mad at her for disobeying their family's traditions. Going against her bloodline was something her father could never stand for. She recalled all the punishments she had been given when she had talked badly about her bloodline. Her father and mother were very proud of their heritage, and they expected nothing less from their daughter. The horrendous thought that her parents would never allow her and Vegeta to be together almost brought her to her knees. When she finally went back home, even if Vegeta came with her, her parents would probably just throw a white dress on her and push her through the archway… their precious _Yamcha_ standing at the far end of the petal-infested walkway. Her heart clenched. Was it really impossible for her and Vegeta to stay together? Was that even what Vegeta wanted? Did the same thoughts even cross his mind?

"Are you coming?" Vegeta asked her, looking over his shoulder. Bulma noticed that he already had her things swung over his shoulder. That included her backpack… which still had her normal clothing in it.

"Can I change first?" she asked sheepishly, feeling her cheeks go pink.

"No," Vegeta smirked like a little devil, enjoying Bulma's "unbelievable" expression.

"That's not funny, Vegeta. Give me my pack."

"Come and get it," he said playfully, swinging it around one finger by the straps and taking one small step in the opposite direction to taunt her. Bulma found herself wearing a serious expression, but having an elated mood on the inside. "Playing" with Vegeta wasn't something just _anyone_ got to do. And even _she_ rarely got to. She successfully fought back her grin and viciously stepped towards him.

"Give me my pack," she warned, "Now."

When he didn't respond, Bulma ran at him, lunged and reached for her backpack. With one fluid movement, he sidestepped her, causing her to fall forward and land on the ground at his feet. He chucked softly before throwing her pack on the ground to her left. When she reached for it, he kicked it farther away, earning himself a slap on the leg. He chuckled again and knelt down next to her, his eyes roaming over all of her uncovered skin. Her face went beet-red and she quickly sat up, only to be met with Vegeta's dark, piercing eyes. He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to him, locking their lips together.

Bulma froze for a moment, and then instantly had both of her arms around him and was kissing him back with force to be reckoned with. Vegeta let his hands fall to her bare waist and pulled her ever closer to himself. He slid one hand behind her back and placed the other palm on her smooth stomach, pushing both hands gently together and moving his fingers around insistently. Bulma softly moaned as she pushed on his chest, causing him to slowly roll back, onto the ground, with her atop him. He moved both hands to her hips and gently moved her middle up and down, back and forth, against him. Bulma breathing rapidly quickened as her heart beat like a heavy drum.

"I thought you wanted your pack back…?" he mocked as their lips parted for a moment. She silenced him by trailing her fingers down below his stomach, prodding. Vegeta let out a hiss of delight as he smiled devilishly at her. "I guess you wanted me more?" he loudly breathed, looking down to glance at what plans she had in store for him.

"Hey!" an angry and familiar, but definitely unwanted voice called from afar. Bulma instantly stopped what she was doing and jumped up, off of Vegeta, her face going redder than it was before, if that was even possible. She looked into the distance and startled when she saw Goku sprinting towards them. Vegeta growled menacingly at the interruption as he stood up as well, glaring daggers at Bulma's previous bodyguard. He obviously didn't appreciate Goku's timing, and the threatening look in his dark eyes told Bulma that she had to get Vegeta away from the area before Goku came into his attacking range. She ran over to her backpack, picked it up, and then ran back over to stand in front of Vegeta, trying to gather all of his attention. When he finally pulled his glare away from the man running towards them and placed them on the aqua-haired female before him, Bulma saw her only chance and quickly spoke.

"Look! I got it back!" she smiled enthusiastically, dangling the pack in front of his face. Before she could go on, he snatched it away, ripping it out of her hand and started glaring angrily at her. Bulma pulled back her hand, rubbing where the straps had been ripped from her skin.

"Why are you trying to protect him?" he forcefully asked, and Bulma's first reaction was shock at his could-be bipolar disease. "Is he one of your mates?!" Bulma's eyes widened. Is that why he was so defensive before? Is that why he pulled her away? Is that why he was just…? "Answer me, woman!" raising a hand. Bulma physically flinched at the sudden sight, and mentally flinched because of the idea that he would actually harm her. "What is he to you?!"

"Vegeta…" Bulma said, finding herself a bit relieved that that was the only reason he was yelling at her. The concept was actually a bit funny. When it came to Vegeta, there was no competition.

"Well?! If he's so important to you, then go to him! Go to him before I rip his head off!"

"Vegeta," she said calmly, "Goku's just a friend. I'm protecting him because I care about him. And knowing you, right now I need to protect him from your bad temper." Vegeta's eyes lost their fire as the strange truth reached his mind.

"You're just _friends_ ," he said the word with disgust, "with a male on this planet?"

"I'm friend with a lot of guys, Vegeta."

His eyebrows rose dramatically. How could any pathetic male on this planet be just friends with such an innocent and pure female such as his? It was near to impossible. No, it _was_ impossible. There was no imaginable way that females on this planet could have mates _and_ male companions at the same time. That was absurd. How could the female's mate handle such abuse? The idea was worse than absurd. It was outright stupid. And it was appalling for both the male and the female… What an impulsive planet his woman lived on…

Males were supposed to fight and kill for the female they desired. Not agree to share one between them. This planet held some strange theories on mating and reproduction. First of all, mating was supposed to be between the attractive females and the strongest males, all the way down to the weakest males and the foulest females. On this planet, Vegeta had seen the most attractive females and the weakest males paired up. He had seen a strong male (well, compared to the losers on this planet, anyway) with one of the ugliest females he had ever seen. The planet's systems for mating and reproduction were way beyond fixing at this point.

Luckily, Vegeta, who was obviously the strongest and most attractive male on this pathetic dust cloud of a planet, had shown the other male inhabitants how to rightfully pick their females. Apparently, he was the only person going by the rules and regulations of nature. Other than Bulma, of course. Her pick was definitely the best she could have chosen. Thankfully, there was nothing wrong with _her_ …

Goku caught up to them and stood in front of Vegeta, panting heavily from his long and dramatic run. He pointed an accusing finger at Vegeta.

"You've taken Miss Bulma against her will! By my word, you won't get away with this if I have anything to say about it!"

"Give it a rest, pipsqueak," Vegeta muttered waving his hand as if to order Goku away.

"Goku," Bulma said, not wanting a fight to break out. Not after all she had gone through to prevent one from happening. "Vegeta didn't take me against my will. I chose to come. He's not doing anything to hurt me. Actually, he's protecting me. There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine, see?" She twirled around to show that she was fine, and then stopped, remembering her swimming attire. She _really_ wanted to get out of those.

"I'm glad you're alright, Miss Bulma," Goku said, "Don't get me wrong. It's just that your parents and their friends expect me to be coming home with you with me."

"Oh… Well then…" She turned to her arrogant companion. "What should we do?"

"You aren't really considering going back?" he asked, taken aback by her question. Then, he decided to go on the offensive. "You're not going anywhere as long as I'm here, woman."

"She can choose by _herself_ ," Goku said forcefully, earning himself a threatening glare.

Vegeta was already pissed off because of the way Goku was staring at his woman when she spun around; despite the fact that the aqua-haired female said they were "just friends." He had known it was impossible. There was no way in hell that any pathetic male on this planet wouldn't want this perfect female for themself. He wondered how good this Earthling's sight was. If he had seen what they had been doing before he rudely interrupted them, then he knew that Bulma was _his_. The fact that he wasn't sharing was a given. If this male was just trying to piss him off, it was working.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta, but my parents are worried about me. I can just ignore them."

? … What? Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Did she just tell him that she was leaving, despite the fact that Frieza was going trying to kill them both? Did she just _forget_ that _he_ was the only one who could protect her against that magnitude of a threat? Her life was on the line, and she was throwing away her protection? That was insane…

"And while we're there, I can try and get out of this stupid wedding. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Just don't go around threatening my family and their friends, okay?"

So she wanted him to come along after all. Great. At least that proved that she had some common sense in that messed up brain of hers.

"What? Why would you want to go back? Don't you realize that if Frieza came, your precious family would be killed? I can't protect all of them, woman... I don't even know if I can…" He stopped talking, obviously on purpose. Bulma raised an eyebrow at him. What didn't he want to say to her?

"Miss Bulma, we should leave immediately," Goku said. And why did he have to call her that? What a bothersome annoyance. He just couldn't tell when he lost, could he? She was his, and that _wasn't_ changing anytime soon.

"We'll go on ahead of you," Bulma said, her authority over her bodyguard coming into play. This was a matter that she wanted to make sure no discussions would be made against her. Who knew what would happen if she forced Vegeta to walk next to Goku for however long it would take to get back to Capsule Corporation? A _disaster_ , that's what would happen.

Vegeta smirked at Goku, obviously winning some argument that he made up in his head. He walked over to Bulma and lifted her up, still holding her pack from when he snatched it from her.

"See you in about a week," he mocked, clearly making a joke on Goku's inability to fly. Bulma guessed that his pride and arrogance had just taken a huge jump to the sky. She couldn't help but smile from behind Vegeta, where Goku couldn't see her. Then, the two of them flew off.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"I can't believe you actually want to go back there, woman. Why would you even want to?" Vegeta asked, landing because of Bulma's consistent whining about her clothing. He didn't see what was so wrong about it. He certainly didn't mind.

"Vegeta, they're my parents. I can't just ignore them," Bulma said, rummaging through her backpack, one arm almost all the way in. "My mother and father mean so much to me. It hurts when I know that I'm making them worry about me."

"You should just find the rest of the Dragon Balls first. Then, you can go back there knowing that you didn't waste any time going back and forth," he droned, as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world to her.

"They mean more to me than anything in the world. Even the Dragon Balls. Even having my wish come true. It's almost like anything else can be replaced or forgotten… But they can't." Bulma was trying not to go overboard with how much she cared about her family, but talking about them was making her feel like she was letting them down. Remembering them was like forgetting the fantasies that she had enjoyed with Vegeta over the past few days. But that was all it was: a fantasy. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that there was no forever with Vegeta. When she arrived back at Capsule Corporation, her parents would be excited about the wedding… with Yamcha. They wouldn't allow her to marry Vegeta. For heaven's sake, she didn't even know what species he was!

Just because she loved him didn't mean that she could be with him… It didn't mean that he could be with her. She just knew that she couldn't let her parents down.

Then what about her? What about what _she_ wanted? The decision was simple and straight. Would she actually go against her family tradition to be with the man she loved? Or would she abandon her own dream to keep her parents' dreams alive? Basically it just came down to a simple but horrible choice: who did she love more? Her mother and father… or Vegeta? Who would she have to let down? Who would she have to abandon?

"Will you hurry up already, woman?" Vegeta's aggravated voice reached her from around the tree she was hiding behind. There was no possible way in hell that she was changing her clothes right in front of him. If he had minded, he never showed it.

"Hold on," she said, struggling to put her pants on when one pant leg got caught on the bottom of her foot and she only had the other one to balance on. She hopped around for a moment, but felt a thorn cut through the delicate flesh on the bottom of her foot. "Oh!" she cried, falling over with a thud.

"Woman! What are you doing?!" Vegeta angrily called. Bulma wondered if he just got startled because of her cry.

"I'm fine," she called back to him in response, "I'll be done in a sec." She heard him let out a loud and exaggerated sigh and pictured him rolling his eyes at the clouds.

"You still haven't answered my question," he added.

"What was it again?"

"Why do you want to go back when we only have two Dragon Balls left to find? Haven't you realized that we've been trying to collect them to get Frieza off our backs?" he said, and Bulma thought there was a hint of desperation in his voice. "You can't just quit!"

"I am _not_ quitting," she said sternly, "But if _you_ haven't realized it yet, Frieza hasn't been around for an extremely long time. I thought that you said he does things swiftly and efficiently, didn't you? Well, then where is he?" Bulma paused to think about her own words and what they actually meant before she continued. "What if you're wrong, Vegeta? What if Frieza isn't really trying to kill us? I mean, look at us. We're alive, aren't we? It's possible that you could have misinterpreted whatever source you heard your information from."

"First of all, I don't want to hear that from you, woman. Don't talk about it anymore. When I say that someone is out to kill you, you'd better be prepared for it. I am _not_ wrong. And I don't give a flying fuck how _long_ it takes him to kill us. He's still going to try to do it." He snarled at the wind, seeing as Bulma was still behind the tree. "And he will fail." Bulma heard him approaching the tree and pulled a piece of clothing close to her chest. She only had her bra on.

Vegeta came around to face her and Bulma yelped at the intrusion. His look signified that he wanted her to be quiet. She picked up another shirt from her pack and chucked it at his face. He caught it and threw it to the ground. He stepped closer to stand over her.

"And you still haven't answered my question."

"What? You mean the Dragon Balls?" she asked. When she didn't receive a response, she assumed that her question had been accurate. "Vegeta, I already told you my answer for that. It's because I don't want to make my parents worry about me anymore. They mean a lot to me and I care about them. Don't you know what I mean?"

"… No."

"You can't tell me that you never felt bad about letting your father down. Or that you felt bad for making your mother unnecessarily worry about you."

"… My parents… knew that I could handle myself." Instantly, Bulma knew she had reached a delicate subject. She considered dropping the whole thing, but her curiosity was too strong.

"… What do you mean?"

Vegeta whirled on her. "Why the _fuck_ do you think I'd tell you that?!"

"It was just a question."

"Well maybe you should stop caring about other people's business and start fixing your own goddamn problems! You know what your problem is? You're _annoying!_!"

"Stop yelling at me! I didn't do anything wrong here. You're the one who just freaked out all of a sudden when I brought up my parents!" Bulma considered stopping, but once again, something was in the way of her better judgment. This time, it was her temper. "Listen! It's not _my_ fault that you're all touchy about the subject of your parents! I don't know what happened. Maybe they deprived you of hugs or something, but at this point I really don't care! Besides, at least _that_ would explain why you're so angry all the time! You're mommy and daddy didn't show you enough love? Is that it?! I really couldn't care any less about your apparently shitty childhood, but don't take it out on me!"

A strong hand collided with the side of her face, knocking her over and slamming her against the ground. Then she was lifted by the neck and shoved against the sharp bark of the tree. She could feel fresh blood dripping down her back as her shirt slowly slid out of her hands and fell to the ground. She looked up at her attacker to find his face distorted into a violent and threatening scowl. His teeth were bared at her as he snarled, his face only inches from hers. Bulma felt a tear run down the side of her face as she was shoved harder against the tree, the bark cutting even deeper into her flesh. She could feel some of her breath slipping as his grip on her neck tightened.

"Anything else?!" he furiously screamed, making Bulma feel like her ears would blow out at any second.

"V- Ve—" Bulma couldn't draw any air to speak. More tears trailed down her face. She couldn't stop them.

"Cry your heart out, whore! You fucking bitch! See if I care! I am the Prince of all Saiyans! I could kill you in a fraction of a second if I so pleased! How dare a weak Earthling like _you_ speak to me that way! I am _royalty_! You should be eating the dirt at my feet!" Bulma's hands reached and grabbed around the wrist of the hand that was holding her. She tugged as hard as she could, but it was barely worth a thought. She could feel herself losing a battle that she hadn't expected to come until she was much older. "You're so weak, woman," he said, loosening his hold on her, "Did you know that? You're so pathetic it's embarrassing." He released her and she fell to the ground coughing and spitting as her tears now openly flowed. She felt her entire body trembling at the fright. She felt like she was watching herself from the sky as she desperately crawled, trying to get away from the man standing over her.

Vegeta bent down next to her, inspecting the deep scratches on her back. Bulma felt like she wasn't herself anymore. She felt like a trapped animal and her instincts had taken over. Her mind was no longer in control. All she could do was watch from the outside.

"Get up, woman."

Bulma looked up at him with puffy red eyes as she choked on her own saliva, wondering how close she had come to death. Then, she grabbed a handful of the dirt underneath Vegeta and quickly shoved it in her mouth, her arms trembling. Vegeta froze, mid-glare.

"Stop that," he said. She reached for another handful and he grabbed her arm. "I said cut it out!" Bulma looked back up at him to find that his expression was one of shock. Her mind was instantly slammed back into her own body. She gasped at the unexpected pain from the wounds on her back and tried to scamper away from him. His grip on her wrist held her tightly, so she couldn't get very far. "What… did I just…?" Bulma heard him mutter to himself, letting go of her wrist to find a red mark where each of his fingers were.

Bulma screeched when he grabbed her around the waist, scaring away a few birds from the nearby branches. She was lifted and swung over his shoulder. More tears trailed down her face as the two of them flew off.


	14. Getting Into Trouble

**Chapter Fourteen: Getting into Trouble**

Vegeta never spoke. He never made any sudden movements. He just sat there, turned towards the front of the room with his eyes on the tiled flooring at his feet. The room smelled like sweat, but he didn't complain. The two girls sitting opposite of him were talking too loud, but he didn't look up or tell them to be quiet. No one was telling him what was going on in the back room, but he never approached the lady that was obviously trying to get his attention. He didn't need any answers anyway. He could wait. He knew what the outcome would be.

Physically, Bulma would heal in a day or so, save for a few scabs on her back. It was her emotional and mental health that he was anxious about. He was well prepared for her to be uneasy around him from now on. He would expect nothing less. He knew she would probably try to avoid him. He was well prepared for that as well. He knew that she would have no second thoughts now about marrying that scar-faced loser. He was even prepared for that, despite his own ego. He was still in the process of preparing himself for the night after their stupid wedding. What would he be doing then? He knew damn well what he was going to be doing: sitting by himself, keeping a reserved sense for the aqua-haired female. If she was going to be with that scumbag, he was going to make sure that he wasn't hurting her in _any_ way.

He turned his head a bit to the right, re-focusing on the floor. He was going to make sure that no one did what he had just done to her…

No matter how hard he tried, nothing in the universe would be able to get the dread out of him. Not just because of what he had done, but because the female would now be mating with another male. She wouldn't want to be around him anymore. He had enough experience on this planet to know that the females didn't like being treated like… like dirt… like some lowly warrior who tries so hard to protect his woman and then almost kills her. And he actually had the guts to tell himself that it was _her_ fault. That it was a simple misunderstanding. That it was an accident…

 _Are you happy now?_ he thought, _Have you got what you were looking for yet?_ Was he just a small dog? He had a loud bark but no bite? He had confidently told that spiky-haired freak from back by the pond that he was always around the aqua-haired female. That he would never let her out of his sight. Now, he was beginning to think that maybe that wasn't as helpful as he thought it had sounded. Maybe him always being around her was a bad thing. After all, if he couldn't protect her from himself, he wouldn't be able to protect her from anything, much less Frieza.

But then who could? There were no Earthling males strong enough to at least hold their ground against that evil tyrant. Vegeta wasn't even sure that he himself could do such a thing. He couldn't stop protecting the female… even after what he did? There would be no chance for her to live if Frieza came after her. He would just have to watch from afar. _How pathetic. The Saiyan Prince reduced to a mere spectator in someone else's life. I should be ashamed… For more than a few reasons_.

The female had asked about his family. That was what set him off. Had he that little control over himself that he snapped over a simple question. He wouldn't expect himself to do such a thing with anyone else in the universe; but the female… his woman, he couldn't even control himself with her? Vegeta felt truly pathetic. He felt like a lost child, and he was hating every minute of it. He knew he deserved his own self-righteous, ego-demolishing embarrassment. And just the fact that it was all in his head made it worse. It would have been much better if someone in the room had done this. If they had, they'd be dead in less than a fraction of a fraction of a second. But he did it. Did that mean that he should be dead in less than a fraction of a fraction of a second? She he destroy the threat? Take his own life…? No… he was too strong for that. Plus, even if it wasn't right, even if it was morally incorrect, he knew that the female would still need him… Eventually… He wondered if he'd stick around if he… _If I what?! Killed Frieza?! Ha! Don't flatter yourself. You're no better than Frieza right now anyway_. Would he stick around? …Maybe… Maybe not…

 _What was I thinking?! If I hadn't snapped out of it, I wouldn't have spared her life. What does that even mean? Is it impossible for me to… actually care about her well-being?_ He drooped his head even lower. It was almost directly between his knees by now. _I'm all talk. I'm always telling myself that I'm the strongest in the universe. That I can defeat any enemy that crosses my path… What do I become when I start trying to kill people who aren't my enemies? Who haven't crossed my path? Do I become an evil tyrant, like Frieza? Do I become a monster? Do I become… And why did I do it? She asked about my parents. I turned on her… I threatened her. So, naturally, she would fight back. I shouldn't have expected anything less from her…_

 _So what happened? She yelled at me. I couldn't handle a few insults? Is that it? Am I really that weak? I had to hurt her to prove that I wasn't weak? I had to scare her like that?! I had to toss her aside?! I had to…_

Bulma wasn't a Saiyan. She wasn't a warrior that he could test his physical strength on. Even _she_ was well aware that he would win. It wasn't a test at all. It was a pathetic excuse for a child's game. What possible reason was there to attack her like that? There wasn't one. Vegeta knew that the only thing he had proven was that he was weak. He couldn't face his past again. He didn't want to remember what had happened to his father. He didn't want the female's _pity_! That was all he would've gotten, and it was the last thing he needed. He didn't want to remember his father. How much he missed….

Vegeta violently shook his head, earning himself a few weird looks from the people around him. He didn't bother to look up or glare at them so they'd swiftly look away. He deserved weird looks. He deserved much worse than that.

So, that was it? He didn't want to talk about his father…? About what Frieza had done to his father? About what he had done to his planet? His people? … To him…?

He didn't want to remember his childhood. He wanted to take all his reserved anger and drown Frieza in a pool of his hatred. He wanted it as a weapon at his disposal when the time came to finally rid the universe of her lizard-like disease. If he shared his past, especially with the female, he certainly might have lost some of that all-important anger, and he would never get the opportunity to obliterate Frieza, that tyrant that ruined his entire life, and then laughed a little about it.

A slight smile breezed over his face for a moment. At least there was a good side to all of this: Hurting the female was getting out of having to rid himself of the anger that would soon kill Frieza. And killing Frieza would be protecting his woman. Although it couldn't make up for what he had done, at least there was something there to keep him going for a little while longer. This would've never happened anyway if Frieza was dead already… But then he wouldn't have met the female the way he did in the first place. If he had just passed on the road one day, he wouldn't have acted on his male instincts. He would have given her a thought, maybe a second thought, a few impressed glances, maybe admired the way she walked, and then he would have been on his way, never seeing her again. Maybe giving her a third thought a few moments later, but she would have never crossed his mind again. He mockingly thanked Frieza for the experience, and then cursed him a few times.

Vegeta would have gladly given up the time he spent with the female to go back in time and erase himself from her memory. To erase her from his memory. He would rather have them never meet than hurt her like he did. _Well, you should've thought about that_ before _you lost your temper, idiot_ , he thought, almost out loud.

"Excuse me?" The lady behind the old wooden desk asked, "Are you waiting for someone? Or do you have any free time on your hands?"

Vegeta looked up, amused at the woman's poor flirting skills, and yet disgusted at the same time. He had his woman… If she still "had" him, that is. He wondered if he should start looking for a new female, but brushed the topic aside. Unfortunately, the only thing he had left to rely on was hope. Once, again, he felt pathetic. Hope was a fool's refuge from the truth. It was a mockery of the facts. It was an insult to the people would _didn't_ hope; the people who acted instead of sitting around wasting their precious time in some medical room, waiting for someone else to do their job…

Vegeta stood up _. If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself_ , he thought, smirking at the lady, too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice her blushing at his gaze. Little did she know that she was the last thing on his mind. He made his way to the back door, leading to the hospital's main medical wing.

"Hey! You're not allowed back there without a doctor's escort! Hey!" Vegeta barely heard the lady screaming behind him, apparently losing interest in his looks and focusing on his "bad behavior." What was wrong? She didn't like bad boys? Oh, well. He smirked to himself, listening to that slut's voice calling for security. _Ha! Security! What are they going to do? Bore me to death?_ He laughed as he heard the door close behind him.

Vegeta focused his energy and found the aqua-haired female's energy patterns right away. She wasn't too far away. That was good. Only a few doors down. There were two people in the room with her. He sensed one was a male and the other was a female. Even from behind the door, standing in the hallway, he could still smell that the female had been a little _too_ busy the night before. He distinctly remembered passing the male with that scent somewhere before in the building, when he had first arrived. The female had it _all_ _over_ her. Even washing couldn't cover up that scent when it came to a _Saiyan's_ sense of smell. Although, on this planet, Vegeta couldn't help but notice that that particular odor was always a bit nauseating. Back on his planet, he had always found it a bit arousing. Many Earthlings didn't smell very appealing anyway, so it wasn't like it had come as a surprise to him.

He opened the door suddenly, earning himself a high-pitched scream from the woman and a pathetically fearful expression from the man. Apparently, it was a doctor and a nurse. The nurse was holding a clipboard in one hand, and a pen in the other. The doctor had been instructing her on what to write down as his woman's report.

"How is she?" Vegeta demanded, taking a threatening step forward.

"You… You aren't allowed back here without a doctor's escort," the man said, attempting, and failing, at being forceful in his statement.

"As I've been told… Now tell me how she's doing!"

"She… She…" the nurse looked at her clipboard, "Ms... Bulma Briefs… is doing just fine, sir… She'll be ready to leave by the end of the day…"

"Good," he said to himself, sensing a few people behind him.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave the building. You aren't allowed to be back here without a doctor's escort." Vegeta whipped around to find three grown men at the doorway, motioning for him to come with them.

"That's the third time I've been told that... So, either get me my fucking doctor's escort or get out of my face! Unless you have a death wish, of course." He met no resistance from the three men in the doorway, so he smirked. At least they knew their places. He silently wondered if Earthlings had a kind of sense to naturally fear him. Well, the males. The females were obviously drawn to him, which was natural, so he guessed the males were the same, just with fear. They didn't want to admit it. That was all. He inwardly chuckled. He was pretty threatening to these people, wasn't he? Oh, well… What was a Saiyan to do?

"I… It… It's… okay…"

Vegeta's head snapped toward the female lying on the pure white bed. She looked so… angelic, laying there. In fact, he hadn't even noticed her before she spoke. She had bandages all over her upper body. He felt an angry chill at the fact that someone had taken off her bathing suit top. That also meant that the bottom was probably gone as well. If it had been a male, he would catch onto the scent later, and find him to pay him his respects for checking that his woman wasn't injured _anywhere_ but her back. He mentally growled at the thought.

"Ve… Vegeta… You can… leave…," she breathed, "I'm… fine…" She was struggling to talk, but the thing that made him worry was that she told him he could leave. What did that mean? She didn't want him there? She didn't think he wanted to be there? She believed that he was only there because he felt obliged to, since he had put her here in the first place? Was she telling him to never come back? If he didn't take the hint, would she send him away? Goddamnit! He couldn't even tell if she was angry, upset, content, forgiving, or something else completely! Hoping was really starting to wear on his patience.

"I'm not going anywhere until I talk to you, woman."

"P… Please… Really… Just go…"

Vegeta froze. Did she just… He was no dog! The Prince of the Saiyan race couldn't be bossed around by a mere Earthling female! He had no master to please! He could do what he desired! If he wasn't wanted, he could stay anyway. He could leave, not because he was told to, but because he wanted to! If the aqua-haired female didn't want him anymore, then so be it! It was her loss! Not his!

Vegeta lowered his head. That was the kind of thinking that got her hurt in the first place, now wasn't it…? He made his way to the door, glaring daggers at the curious looks he got from the three men. He wanted to tell them to stay out of other people's business, but decided against it. He felt two waves of relief from the doctor and nurse behind him. He felt a wave of jealousy at them for a moment. They were just standing there. They weren't the cause of the female's anger. She wasn't angry at _them_. He never truly realized just how much he would have given to be one of them in that moment. He turned his attention back to the doorway.

… _Goodbye_ , he thought, _…Bulma…_

And then he was gone.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"What can I do for you this evening, sir?" the blonde haired lady asked. In his point of view, she looked like the most brainless human on the entire planet. He had never seen an Earthling look so delirious and oblivious to her surroundings.

"A room," Vegeta replied solemnly.

"How long will you be staying?"

"One night," he said, wondering if he was doing the right thing. It didn't feel right… but it would certainly take the pressure off his shoulders later on, when he didn't care about right and wrong.

"How many would you like?"

He paused, pondering the question. A full night… That would be about eight to ten hours for him. He would need about… "Three will do."

"Would you like them at different times or all at once?"

Once again… he pondered the question. "All at once," he replied, quickly deciding that he wouldn't want to _wait_ for one after the others had gone.

"All-rightee!" The lady punched some numbers into a cash register. "That will be fifteen hundred and seventeen dollars and eighty-four cents," she said, a bright smile on her face, as if she enjoyed taking people's money… Wait a second… Money? And boy, would he need a lot of it.

"… Actually, could you cancel that…? I changed my mind," he said, getting a mean look in response. The lady angrily slammed her fist on the cash register, closing the compartment that held the cash and coins. Vegeta walked out of the building. That was okay, though. His stomach was telling him that he shouldn't be doing that… But that didn't change the fact that he still wanted to…

It was almost dark. If he waited around for a while, he was bound to come across a female that didn't want any money… But what if they did…?

He slowly made his way to the back streets until he found his prime target: A big burly man with short, curly red hair and a pudgy red face… with a wide wallet in his back jean pocket. Nice.

He crept up behind the man and, with speed to be admired, he snatched the wallet. The man turned around and immediately threw a wild punch at his head. Vegeta ducked with boredom. Earthlings weren't even worth his time. He lifted a hand and fired a single energy blast, demolishing the man. He didn't even mind killing him. He stunk of women, and Vegeta guessed that they hadn't been willing by the sheer number of all the different odors. They were so pungent that Vegeta found himself holding his breath as he raced away from the alley and back onto the regular public streets. He opened the wallet and found a wad of cash. Looking at the worthless plastic cards in the other slots, he tossed the leather money holder onto the ground, shoving the cash into his pocket. He watched as a few young males, children in drab clothing, snatched the wallet off the ground as Vegeta walked away from it. They took some of the plastic cards and made a break for it, as if they were valuable in some way. Vegeta just shrugged to himself and continued walking.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

It was finally dark out. Vegeta stood up and stretched his muscles, letting out a yawn as he began his search. He had expected it to be even a little difficult to find one, but when he rounded the corner, he found three standing right in front of him. it wasn't hard to identify them. Especially with what they were wearing. One of them was even smoking. All three of them had their backs turned to him. It was funny, too. Three was what he had asked for in the first place. _A little patience goes a long way_ , he thought to himself. Although he couldn't bring himself to smirk or even be delighted at his miraculous find. He didn't actually care all that much. He just wanted what he wanted, and that was all…

He pulled out the wad of cash that he had… obtained… earlier in the evening, and let out a fake cough, directing their attention to what he was holding. Not one of them looked at his face. They just smiled at what they saw. Good.

One of them reached for it, but Vegeta snatched it back.

"You _earn_ it," he growled, making them look at his face. They looked him up and down a few times…They smiled all the more at what they saw, all their eyes planted around his middle. He could literally feel all six eyes on him… and he didn't like it. He wasn't theirs, to do with as they pleased. "Get this straight," he warned, "You're mine for tonight, not the other way around… You want this?" he asked, waving the money in their faces, "Then you do as I say. Understand?!" They nodded at him, their eyes still on the cash being dangled in their faces. Vegeta wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if they started to drool all over themselves. "One screw up… and, poof!" he shoved the money back into his pocket. Honestly, he had no clue how much he actually had, but all that mattered was that it made these whores do their job, and in this case, do it _better_.

The three of them grabbed at his clothing immediately, but he pushed them off. He walked back around the corner, under the cover of darkness before gently pulling his shirt off. He wouldn't want to wake up the next morning to find that he would have to walk around naked for the rest of his time on this planet. Well, at this rate, it wouldn't be very long anyway.

He gently slid out of his pants, letting the three do the rest. He really didn't think he would have to do anything, the way they were going, but he wasn't lazy. And he didn't come here to do _nothing_ …

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Vegeta just sat there, his bare back against the brick wall of a building behind him, staring at the tiny bit of sky he could see. There were no clouds. It was all a bright blue… more like an aqua color actually…

He slipped back into his clothing and stood up. The three were gone… and so was his money. They hadn't even done anything… But that was his fault, now wasn't it…? He had sent the other two away after using only the one… But he had stopped that session early as well… In fact, he barely did anything… Damn his good conscience. Why couldn't he be the same usual stuck-up arrogant Saiyan Prince that he always had been? Why was he going all mushy on himself, now of all times?!

He felt disgusting. He felt like he betrayed someone… himself…? No. He knew damn well who it was he had betrayed. Once again, he had done something that he shouldn't have, and it took him until after each of the incidents was finished for him to realize it… He was truly pathetic.

He didn't even feel satisfied. All he felt was that he needed a shower… badly. What was the problem? It wasn't as if he had never done this before! He used to do it all the time back on the planets he conquered. And then, he hadn't even offered them money, much less the _choice_ to be with him. And here… he even quite a few minutes into it… How truly pathetic he was…

The aqua-haired female was supposed to be released from the hospital last night, so she was probably home by now… telling her parents all about him… Why did he keep thinking about her? She was gone! She didn't want him anymore! He even understood why! He was dangerous. He could have killed her. That would be a good enough reason for anybody…

She would probably have the stupid ceremony to be able to mate with that scar-faced jackass today. Without noticing it for longer than it should have taken for him to notice it, he found himself walking down the public streets of Satan City, the female's house being his unconscious destination. Why couldn't he just stay away? Why couldn't he just fucking _leave_?! … Because of Frieza? …Because he had killed Guldo, and the remaining Ginyu Force members were probably a bit angry at him for that? ..Because he still… cared…?

He then found himself running, and even when he realized what he was doing, he didn't stop. He didn't slow down. He didn't give his decision a second thought.

He just ran.


	15. Lost in Thought

**Chapter Fifteen: Lost in Thought**

Bulma sat in the cab, looking out the window in a daze. The hospital had let her out a little later than what they had originally said. They told her it was necessary, but she didn't mind. It wasn't like she was in a hurry to get home or anything.

There wasn't really anything interesting to look at outside of the small yellow car's windows. It was just the same old stuff she grew up in. There were big buildings and small buildings. The big buildings were major corporations and warehouses for the smaller buildings. The smaller buildings were the gift shops and family businesses that would probably close in a month or so. It was all the same out there. There were some trees planted into parts of the sidewalks. Bulma remembered, when she was younger, she helped plant one of those trees. It was still alive, after about ten years. It was on the other side of the city, though. These trees must have been planted by someone else. There were people of all shapes and colors, too. Some people were big with green skin, some small with pink skin. Some people had scales and some looked just like her. A woman she passed was holding hands with a man on her right. Her other hand was on her obviously pregnant stomach. She must have been at least seven or eight weeks in. Bulma saw another woman, walking cautiously into one of the back alleyways. _Be careful_ , Bulma found herself thinking to the woman. She seemed to know that it wasn't smart for a woman to wander into the back alleys all by herself. It was dangerous. Bulma would know. Luckily, she had been saved… by…

She directed her attention to the sky, since the ground was just too damn boring for her taste. There were barely any clouds in the bright blue sky. The color reminded her of her hair. It was pretty close to the actual color. Bulma didn't think that it had ever been so close before in her entire life. So, I was a special occasion. A special day that held something new and exciting. That was what made it special in the first place. She used to have many days that were special. And that would mean that each of them held something new and exciting. She knew exactly what the exciting parts had been. They stood out clearly in her mind…

Bulma shook her head back and forth, earning herself a weary look from the taxi cab's driver. _Keep your eyes on the road, buddy_ , she angrily thought at him, refocusing on the sky. A break in all the tall buildings let her catch a glimpse of a few more clouds. One looked like a dinosaur. Another looked like, well… It actually just looked like a perfect and puffy white cloud. And the one on the far left looked like a Dragon Ball. It even had the stars inside and everything. It reminded her of…

When she finally arrived home, at Capsule Corporation, Bulma began to wonder about what would happen when she walked through those font doors. She knew she would be getting married, and worse yet, married to Yamcha… Wait. She had to make herself think. The problem was that she had believed that Yamcha was no good from the start. But that had just been something that someone had told her. And that someone was gone…

She had to try and see this man for the person he really was, not the one she had imagined him to be. Besides, her parents wouldn't have chosen him if they knew he was a jerk or a wimp or anything that they knew she wouldn't approve of in a man. But, then this was all pointless. She already knew _exactly_ what she wanted in a man…

She decided that she was going to force herself to accept this. She was going to get married to Yamcha and spend the rest of her life with him. they were going to share the company and eventually have children to pass the name onto. It was already planned out for her. All she had to do was the same exact thing that her parents did. And their parents before. And then their parents. All Bulma had to do was stick to the cycle and not change anything. She would do the exact same thing that her parents and their parents had done.

It wasn't like she had other options anyway. Who was she going to break the cycle with? Here was no one in the world that she could think of that she would sacrifice her future with. With Yamcha, she wouldn't be sacrificing her future; she'd be preserving it. She'd be solidifying her life into stone. It would all be carved in a big fat rock so that nothing could ever change… Then why did she get a knot in the pit of her stomach? What else was there? No one was worth her risking the rest of her life. It wasn't like she was allowed to vary from the system. Sure, she had thought about it before as if it could really happen, but that was before he…

Bulma shook her head again, and noticed the cab drivers give her another weird look before driving away, back to the center of Satan City to look for more people to be able to drive around. Well, he wasn't actually looking for the chance to drive people around. He was instead looking for chances to get more money. So, in a sense, he was just doing what he had to to survive. He had to drive people around, even if he didn't want to do it, so that he could save up the money. Maybe he had a family to support or he just had to pay off his rent in a shorter amount of time than he thought, and the little extra money that he was pushing to make would really help out to get that rent paid before he got kicked out of his home and had to live on the streets. Bulma knew the feeling. She knew of a couple instances where she had to do something for the better, even if she knew she didn't want to do it. All that mattered was that the outcome was fruitful. She knew what she was doing… Didn't she…?

She walked down the path to her front door, but before she even moved to reach for the handle, it was swung open, revealing both her parents. Her blonde haired mother stood in front of her, tears streaming down her pink face. Her father stood behind her with a hint of a smile, happy that she was home, safe and sound. Her mother reached forward and hugged her, almost knocking her over in the process. Bulma could help but let out a blissful laugh as she embraced her mother. Despite all the ordeals she had been through to get here, she was just glad to be home again. She was happy to be in her mother's warm embrace and under her father's watchful eyes. It felt good. It was like she had been living in a different world before this. As if she had been lost and didn't know if she would ever see her parents again. Almost as if she had been taken prisoner and had finally escaped…

"Bulma! Darling! We were so worried about you!" her mother cried, and Bulma could just feel the tears staining her shirt for life. But she didn't mind. at that moment, her mother was allowed to stain anything she pleased.

"We're so glad you're okay," her father said simply, but it was obvious that a lot of meaning had gone into his statement. He wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it. Bulma let out another laugh, a couple tears running down her cheeks as well. Damn, it felt good to be home.

"Darling," her mother said, pulling herself away by pushing on Bulma's shoulders, "Sweetheart, your wedding with Yamcha is planned for tonight. We bought your dress and everything." She paused to wipe her tears away before continuing. "Go have a look in your room. We bought three sizes in case the other two don't fit you, okay?" she smiled. "Go try them on, but don't rush. You have almost three and a half hours. Put on your makeup and be out here in two hours or so. I'll help you fit the dress and I'll give you your flowers and instructions, all right?" She smiled again, her eyes closing because of how wide her mother's mouth was.

Bulma had been expecting the wedding to be sudden, but now that it was actually here, her heart was beating faster. Was this what she really wanted…? What was she thinking!? Of course it was what she wanted! What other choices did she have?! None! There were no other choices for her to make at this point, and that wasn't going to change in a matter of three and a half hours! _Just let him go!_ She found herself mentally screaming at herself. No… this wasn't what she wanted… But it was what had to be… There really weren't any other choices…

Bulma made her way to her room, mentally preparing herself for the thinking she was going to do. She had put it off in her head for too long. It was now time to let it all out… and then it would be time to go marry Yamcha…

She opened the huge wooden door to her bedroom and shut it behind her as she entered. She made her way to her bed to sit down. It wasn't going to take her two full hours to get ready for a wedding, so she would have plenty of time to think. She turned around to find the three white dresses that her mother had talked about. Bulma turned away from them. It was only a day ago that she was picturing herself talking to her parents about cancelling the wedding with Yamcha. She was going to tell them how much she loved Vegeta, and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him…

Bulma was actually glad that Vegeta did what he did when he did it. It would have been even worse if he had done it after their wedding, because then she'd be stuck with him and his… violent orgies…

To be completely honest, she didn't know _what_ to think. Was he mad at her? Did he do it to tell her that he didn't share the same feelings for her as she had for him? Was it her fault because she pushed him too far? All she knew for sure was that he had attacked her. He had caused her to need medical attention… on purpose. There was no excuse for what he did… There never could be… And if he did it once, then what was stopping him from doing it again…? Nothing… Nothing at all…

Bulma sat on the edge of her bed, looking back and forth between the white dress and the carpeted floor of her bedroom. For a moment, she thought about suicide, but knew that she could never do such a thing to herself and her family. And even Yamcha. She barely knew him, but she knew how she would feel if he killed himself before being married to her. That would be horrible a self-esteem boost… Plus, she didn't think a wimp like Yamcha could handle such a thing. Then again, she thought a stud like Vegeta wouldn't have been able to handle it either… But after what he did… She didn't know what to think anymore. The only truth was that the world sucked, and that included the people in it… _Especially_ the people in it.

And where was Vegeta now, huh? Flying away from Satan City? Getting as far away from her as possible? He probably expected her to come crawling back to him. He probably expected her to grovel at his feet and beg him to come back to her. Well, you know what?! He was always trying to make her believe that she couldn't live without him. Here was her chance to finally prove him wrong… And she'd be damned to Hell before she didn't take it. This was her chance to get him back for what he did.

The only thing she wanted now was for that bastard to see her with her new husband. She wanted Vegeta to witness her happiness with someone other than him. If Vegeta needed anything, it was a harsh blow to his ego. He was the most desperate person in the universe for a severe ego kick-ass, if you asked Bulma. He needed to see that the planets didn't revolve around him. He needed to learn that not everyone cared about what he wanted. And he certainly needed to know that she could live without him. She didn't need him to survive. She had her bodyguards to take care of her. Honestly, he could go slit his own throat for all she cared… Right…?

Angrily, she thought about him being excited about his newfound freedom, and going off to sleep with another girl. But the thought soon made her heart clench. She wondered why that was. It wasn't as if she still cared about him. He had hurt her without holding back. He yelled at her and called her a bitch and a whore. There was no love in her heart for someone like that. None at all…

She looked at the clock to find that only a half an hour had passed as she thought. _Time flies when you're having fun,_ she thought sarcastically, looking back at the white dress. Her memorable wedding day wasn't really what she had expected when she thought about it as a child. Even when she talked about it with her parents last year. She had been excited and thought it would be the day that started her life. Now it felt like it was the end of it.

 _No_ , she thought, shaking her head fiercely, _I'm not being fair to Yamcha. I don't even know the guy. He's probably very nice. I shouldn't judge him before I even get to know him. After all, I am supposed to be spending the rest of my life with him, aren't I?_

 _When a Briefs gets married, they get married for life_. When Bulma was young, this was what her mother told her. Even the Brief's partner knew this, including both their families. It was tradition. There was no going back after they couple kisses. _When a Briefs gets married, they get married for life_. There were no such things as divorces in the Brief's history timeline. No breakups… No matter what. _When a Briefs gets married they get married for life_ … For life… For her entire life… Bulma's entire life… With Yamcha… And no turning back…

If she was so ready to show Vegeta a thing or two, and if she was so ready to get to know Yamcha, then why did the thought of never going back make her nervous? It made her stomach do a backflip. It made her heart sag. It made her brain throb. It made her insides twist. It made her ribs constrict. It made her arms fall to her sides. It made her legs feel like jelly. It made her feel like she was dying inside… The thought of never going back… It wasn't natural to her. Not in the slightest…

No more second chances in life. After all, that was what divorces were about: Realizing that you have your whole life ahead of you, and trying to fix old mistakes… Was her decision to send Vegeta away a mistake? Was that why she was feeling this way about the marriage?

No, of course not. What was wrong with her? He had hurt her. Mentally, emotionally and physically. Had she been so deeply in love with him that she couldn't even make herself realize that he wasn't good for her anymore? That he could hurt her again, only worse? Was she so played by his attractive looks and masculine voice that she couldn't tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy? Had he planned it that way? Did he expect her to continue to fall for him, even after what he had done to her?

If he did, then boy did he have something coming for him! A nice whack in the heart was bound to do something. That weak and underused heart of his! What was it good for anyway, if he didn't used it? She might as well just rip it out of his fucking chest! Maybe he'd feel something then! Hopefully pain. And a _lot_ of it. Then again, how was someone who didn't use their heart able to feel it being ripped out of them? They didn't… did they?

She would just have to let him know that she was making love with another guy… and that she was liking it. She smiled to herself. It wasn't even a bad plan. She was getting married to Yamcha. It was only natural that they be with each other during their first night together. It would be fun… If she couldn't break his heart, well, then she'd just have to torture him in other ways instead…

Bulma got up off her bed and picked up the white wedding dress. She took off her shirt and pants that the hospital had given her and then slid on the white dress over herself. She suddenly paused when one of the strings on the beautiful piece of clothing caught one of the scabs on her back. She yelped at the unexpected pain and pulled the dress off in a rush. The scab came with it.

She felt a tear slide down her face, but she wasn't outright crying. The feeling just made her eyes water. She looked at the inside of the dress, wiping her face with the back of her left arm absentmindedly. She folded the piece of clothing inward to look at the inside where the seams met. A splotch of red-orange had already soaked into the white. She flipped the dress over to the front where the stain showed through the fabric to the side that it would be seen. Bulma quickly ran to her dresser to find something that would be able to take it off efficiently. Finding nothing, she hurried back to the bed and threw on her previous clothes and raced out the door, the white dress clutched firmly in her right hand. She was careful to make sure it didn't touch the floor as she went to her mother's bedroom, where she thought she'd be.

Her instincts were correct, and as she entered the room, her mother saw the stain instantly and snatched the piece of clothing from Bulma's hands. She raced to her bathroom and loudly slammed the door without a single word to either follow or come before her sudden departure. Bulma idly went over to her mother's king sized bed and sat down. She checked to make sure the bleeding on her back had come to a halt, and then leaned back to lay onto the fluffy, light blue pillows with her fingers entwined, her hands set comfortably behind her head. She glanced at the ceiling to find that it was perfectly white. There weren't any stains on there. Her mother always made sure of that. And that was a fact that Bulma knew well. Mrs. Briefs hated any darker or lighter colors on a perfectly plain or bland color of her choice. Bulma's bedroom walls were a prime example. Her mother never let Bulma paint, draw, color, eat, drink, or anything else that may have had the slightest chance of producing a stain on her walls in her room. Oh, and forget about the carpets… There was no hope for a stain on her mother's white carpets. Stains literally feared her mother. There was no doubting that simple and obvious fact. Stains paled at her mother's wrath… and, of course, bleach.

Mrs. Briefs came running out of the bathroom like she was about to win a marathon by only a few inches ahead of the person behind her.

"Bulma, sweetheart, here's your dress. Make sure you're careful with it from now on. I don't want to have to do that all over again… By the way, was that blood on the dress? Are you okay, darling? Did you hurt yourself?"

Oh, that's right. Bulma's mother didn't know that her daughter had been at the hospital for the past night and a bit of the day prior to that. She didn't even know about what had happened to her.

In the end of the fleeting thought, Bulma decided that it was better if she didn't mention the incident to her parents just in case… Just in case…

"I'm fine, Mom. It was just a bit of ketchup. If I was hurt, you can be sure that you'd be the first person I'd tell." Bulma smiled thoughtfully at her mother before taking the dress and leaving the room. When she shut the door behind her, she slid her back against the farthest wall, sitting down on the floor with a quiet sigh. She let the dress loosen in her tight fist before closing her eyes for a bit of rest. She wouldn't sleep that long anyway. She just wanted to rest her eyes for a quick moment…

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"Bulma! What do you think you're doing?! The wedding ceremony is in fifteen minutes! And you're sitting here taking a nap?!"

Bulma awoke to the high-pitched screech of her mother. She opened her eyes and jumped up. She wouldn't have much time to do anything with only fifteen minutes… She silently cursed herself for not being able to sleep for only a few minutes.

She stood up and turned to her mother's bedroom doorway to find a very angry blonde with her hair in curlers and a long towel wrapped around her dripping wet body. Firm scowl lines were placed on her forehead. Bulma thought that if she didn't stop frowning at her soon, those lines would never go away for the rest of her mother's life. She thought about telling her that, but decided against it. Her mother would probably think she was being sarcastic or trying to get out of the trouble that she was obviously in. So, instead, Bulma nodded once, gripped the perfectly white dress in her hands and raced off to the protective shelter of her safe bedroom. Thinking of the words protective and safe made something enter her mind that she had just remembered had been in her mind as she slept only a few moments ago…

Bulma shook her head violently as the thoughts bounced around before finally exiting her head through her ears. She was about to be married to Yamcha and the fact that another man was on her mind made her feel like a whore who used men and then moved on. But she didn't feel like that towards Yamcha. To her, it was as if all this trouble she had tied herself into was his fault. She had a lot on her mind, and he was really the only person to blame for it… Except for her, of course. And she knew that this was all her fault anyway, so what was the difference? She was betraying Vegeta by marrying Yamcha? Why did she still feel like that about him after what he had done to her? Her thoughts were just going in circles, never reaching a conclusion… Or one she was satisfied with that is…

Ten minutes of makeup, dressing, hair grooming and glaring at herself in a mirror later, Bulma picked up her dress so as not to trip over it and left her bedroom, heading in the direction of the living room, where her mother had first instructed her to go to when she was finished.

As if on time, both her parents were waiting for her in the living room. Bulma stepped through the doorway, her father taking her arm as she did so. Then they made their way to the backyard. When Bulma rounded the corner of her house, she saw a huge crowd of people in chairs. It was a traditional, ordinary wedding. There were so many people, the food on the tables to the left, woods with young children playing to the right, and straight ahead, the red carpet with white lining fabric. Flower petals lined the runway-esque carpeting. And at the end of it all… was Yamcha. He stood proudly with a slight smirk on his face as their eyes met. He was wearing a black tux with a white shirt underneath. A dinner jacket was swung over his right arm, placed against his chest in pride at the smart, rich and beautiful woman he was about to marry…

Bulma fainted.


	16. Forever

**Chapter Sixteen: Forever**

Vegeta ran down the streets of Satan City, with only one thing on his mind. He had to get to Capsule Corporation before…

What was he supposed to do when he got there, anyway? Here he was, running as fast as his legs would carry him to get somewhere when he had no idea why he was trying to get there in the first place. What was he supposed to do? Stop the wedding? It wasn't as if the aqua-haired female actually wanted to see him. If she didn't want to marry that scar-faced loser, she wouldn't have sent him away before, back at the hospital. She would have been an idiot and gone out to look for him like the last time if she believed that what she had said was a mistake. Her puny but familiar energy level was still radiating from her home. She hadn't left there since she had arrived however many hours ago. The hospital had apparently let her out later than expected.

He rounded a corner and stopped running. Over thirty vehicles were parked along the streets, leading up to the female's home. At least it would be easy not to be seen… Was that what he wanted? He wanted to watch her from a distance and then leave? He wanted to be a member of the stupid ceremony and then let that scar-faced loser have his way with his woman?

 _Absolutely not_. Whether he hurt her or not, there was no way she was going to be with another male while she still preferred him over any male Earthlings. And he knew that she did. She couldn't prefer anyone on this planet instead of him. All that was going on right now was that she was still deciding what was right and what was wrong. Yes, it was wrong for him to have done what he did, but it was over now. He had made his mistake. Fuck, he had even considered leaving her for her own good. What a load of shit that had been. There were still people out there trying to kill her. There was no better male for her than him. It was so obvious that a blind man could have seen it.

Whatever was going on in the female's head, she clearly didn't have enough time to thoroughly think it through. She had just arrived at her home and was being forced to immediately marry some fucked up scumbag without giving any time to think about it first. It wasn't even like she had a choice anyway. All Vegeta knew was that no matter what, that was still his woman in there, and she was going to mate with another male if he didn't stop the ceremony from commencing. He pondered bring the ceremony to a halt. There were many other things he could do.

Vegeta made his way to the front door of Capsule Corporation and hit the doorbell. He heard a chime sound from inside, but no one came to the door. He hit the doorbell again and waited over a minute. Still no one came. Then, he heard a scream from behind the house. It sounded like a middle aged woman who had just swore she saw a ghost. Then, listening as only a Saiyan could, he heard someone ask if someone else was alright. He focused on the aqua-haired female's energy pattern and found a ruffle in it. Something had happened.

He raced around the huge house and came to a halt when he saw the group of people rushing around someone who looked to be hurt. He sensed for the female in the crowd, and found her to be in the middle of it. The scar-faced loser was with her.

Vegeta growled. If he had hurt her, Hell was going to seem like Heaven by the time he was done with that fucker. Then, he sensed something else that he would have never found if scar-face hadn't been so close to his woman. It was the scent of another. In fact, it was the scent of a few others. That loser had been with three other females the night before… it was so blatantly obvious that it made Vegeta want to barf right in front of the huge group of people.

The first thought that raced through his mind was to get that bastard away from his female, but he didn't want her to know that he was here… not yet anyway. He would surprise her… for lack of a better explanation.

But one thing was for sure. That scar-faced asshole was never going to touch his woman with those greedy paws of his. He was a weakling who preyed on the planet's females. That mother fucker hadn't had those women of their own free will. The scent of blood now entered his nose. No matter how hard someone washed themselves, Vegeta could always smell blood. He was drawn to it. Blood meant fighting, and fighting was what he lived for.

He thought back to the days of being under Frieza's rule, where he would train and fight all day and sleep at night… well, not every night. He actually got barely any sleep, the way Frieza took care of him. Vegeta had been like a loyal pet, and he was given many more rewards than he deserved… but he hadn't minded at the time. They were rewards fit for a king… or a prince…

Vegeta scurried away when the crowd began to disperse and the aqua-haired female stood. He glanced at her, in a beautiful white laced dress that fit her form even better than her bathing suit had. And that was saying something. He looked her up and down from a chair in between two elderly females so that he wouldn't be seen. He gagged at one, whose perfume was like an extra layer of clothing. The other smelled horrific, so he felt kind of trapped. He was just glad that the female wasn't physically hurt. There were no cuts on her or anything… except for the ones on her back of course… he certainly had a lot of explaining to do, that was for sure. He had his work cut out for him… At least he knew what he had to say. That was a plus.

He watched with boredom as the female was led by her father to the scar-faced asshole under some detached doorframe covered in crappy white and light pink plants. There were way too many scents here for his liking. He was already getting a major headache on the right side of his brain. He pushed his temple with two fingers, prodding instantly for the pain to ease. He looked up when some old guy in a black suit spoke to the two of them. The beauty and the beast. What a deadly pair they made… Well, deadly for the beast…

Vegeta refocused when the guy in black clothing said something and everyone clapped. He looked up to find the scar-faced loser kissing his woman. His blood boiled over and he could feel his face getting redder and redder by the second. When they finally parted, everyone stood, still clapping. Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked back to the side of the house, making sure to stay out of view from the aqua-haired female and the soon-to-be dead or seriously injured fucker she just got bonded to. He sat down on the green grass, waiting for the boring ceremony to be over with.

When many of the people got up to dance, Vegeta considered taking a short nap to pass the time, but decided against it. If he was caught at the female's wedding taking a snooze, his explanation would become a bit harder to explain on his part. The last thing he needed was to have the female even more upset with him.

When the twirling and spinning shit was finally over, the aqua-haired female and her new plaything went off in some vehicle with noise making stuff hitting the ground behind them as they drove off. _How stupid could these Earthlings get? There were_ _things hanging off of their car_ , Vegeta thought, _What a bunch of idiotic pansies_ …

He followed the sidewalk's trail, keeping a close eye on the distance the female was away from him. He also kept a check on the loser's physical reactions to her. They were nothing serious at the moment, but Vegeta kept a close watch on them anyway. It was natural for this planet's inhabitants to have a natural instinct to want to create offspring with his woman. She would be the perfect choice for a fertile mate for any of them. The only thing they failed to realize was that they weren't worth her time… or his.

When they finally stopped moving after about an hour and a half, Vegeta picked up his pace. He found the car with the annoying noisemakers attached to the back parked in a very expensive looking hotel parking lot. He wondered where they were going. The room of a hotel, no matter how expensive it had been to rent, wasn't the ideal spot for mating. Mating was more of a battle between the two or more participants than just sex, as these Earthlings liked to call it. Of course, the battle should be pleasurable for each of them. It wasn't supposed to be an actual battle… Well, not really. He liked it to be… That was only because he had never lost against any of his partners… He wondered if his winning streak would be over after being with the aqua-haired female. She was definitely a fighter, and he was extremely confident in his ability to make her fight back… How sweet the battle would be. It made him sweat just thinking about it. He smirked to himself, making his way through the hotel lobby's front doors.

It was already dusk, by the look of the setting sun. He wouldn't have to wait very long to kill off the loser now. He sensed the female's anxiety rise and hurried up a bit to see what was causing it. He went back outside and positioned himself so that he could look through the female's window and see what was going o safe distance. He felt like a bit of a stalker, but reminded himself that his woman was in that room with another male. Sure, what she did was none of his business, but if that male brought her any harm or discomfort, then it sure was his business.

Vegeta thought about the fact that he found her so confusing sometimes. He was possessive of her, he knew that. But was he also obsessive of her? Was what he was doing going overboard? He shook his head. Of course it wasn't. Even if the aqua-haired female didn't want him anymore, the male in her room had raped three women the night before. Whether the female liked it or not, he was still going to protect her because she was his. He could be as possessive as he wanted of her, even if she decided to mate with another male. Just not this one… He felt like a daughter's father... As if the precious female could be anything less than the Prince of all Saiyan's mate. Yeah, right. Vegeta let out a soft laugh. Now there was a joke you didn't come by every day. His woman… Not his woman…? He let out another laugh. The thought was embarrassing on the female's part.

He looked up to find the scar-faced loser holding the female's shoulders. He could sense more anxiety coming from her. If only he could hear what they were saying… Then, the loser gripped the female's shirt in his fist. She pulled back and shook her head in a type of answer to a question he probably asked. Honest fear was emanating from her now. Vegeta saw his moment. He crept forward under the bushes, watching the loser's every move. Each time the male took a step towards his woman, he could feel her fear growing. She looked as if she were about to cry.

Then the aqua-haired female flung one arm out to the side for emphasis, saying something to the male. Vegeta paused to watch. She came at the loser, apparently now screaming at him for either something he did or something he stated. How much he wanted to hear what was being said now. He had no idea that he could ever want something so badly, and know that there was no hope of him ever getting it. The loser flinched, backing away from the female's flying hands. He never knew she could be so expressive at times. He chuckled to himself.

And then, the loser advanced. Vegeta's expression instantly became serious as the female's fear flooded back into her. The loser raised a hand and slammed the female across the face. Vegeta growled ferociously as the aqua-hair of the female flew around and disappeared from the window's view as she hit the floor below. He watched with shock as the Earthling male moved forward threateningly, out of Vegeta's view.

Instantly, he was flying around the building, slamming open the front lobby's double doors once again, and racing up the stairs, following his woman's energy level. It had been weak to begin with, but now it was getting even weaker. He moved even faster. If that fucking scumbag had laid another hand on his woman… someone was going to die...

Then, he sensed fresh blood. He could feel his own anger rising as the female's fear increased dramatically. It took an unusual jump to the skies, even for anything the scar-faced loser could have done to her. What the hell was going on? He made it to the door to the room that held the female and froze. Now he knew why the female's fear had jumped so high… She and the male weren't the only ones in the room… And the male, according to his power level, was close to dead.

Vegeta knew this energy. He knew this exact power level… It was Frieza… He had sent someone… Someone powerful. Vegeta slammed open the door when the lock wouldn't budge. The hinges came out of the wall, shattering little pieces of cement onto the floor from the wall where they were once attached.

The orange-haired bastard was there, standing over his woman. She was cowering in fear in the corner of the room, blood trickling down the right side of her face from an open wound on her forehead. Vegeta felt his heart beat faster. This entire time he spent on this pathetic planet, he had never got any training in. He hadn't had a decent fight in almost a month. He had to admit it… he was out of shape.

"Recoome!" he called, redirecting the asshole's attention away from the female. She looked up at him, her aqua-hair spread over the front of her face, and tears and blood matted them to her cheeks and lips. Her expression was one of mixed fear and sorrow, as if she had betrayed him by doing something. He silently wondered if she and the male had been yelling about him… The male… Where was he anyway?

Vegeta looked to the side to find the bloody corpse of the loser in the corner. Knowing Recoome, he had died in less than a second. And it had probably been the most painful second of any Earthling's life. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to not care about the male's death. The only thing that concerned him was if the aqua-haired female was okay with it… or if it had hurt her to watch as much as it hurt him to be given the pain.

"Ahh, Vegeta!" Recoome mocked in his idiotic and childish tone. "I was told I'd find you here as well. I thought that the other guy was you at first, but when he died so quickly, I knew you would be here soon after. Lord Frieza told me you'd come to this pretty girl's rescue if I just waited for you." He walked around the female in a taunting manner. "Lord Frieza also told me to tell you that he's going to kill you, and then he'll take your pretty girl to his bed." Recoome let out a honking laugh that made Vegeta scowl at.

"So, if Frieza told you that he was going to kill me, then why are you here? He knew I'd kill you, huh? At least Frieza's still got some of his brains, no matter how little he uses them."

"Lord Frieza told me that if I wanted to, I could kill you myself. His only real concern was your pretty girl… You know, I may just take her myself when I'm done with you. What Lord Frieza doesn't know won't hurt him." He honked another laugh and Vegeta let out a snarl, stepping forward.

"The fact that you think you'll be able to kill me just proves how much of an idiot you are compared to that homosexual lizard, and that's really saying something."

"You're really asking for it, you know that, punk?" Recoome took a step forward, mirroring Vegeta threatening movement.

"V… Vegeta…" He heard the tiny squeak from the banged up female in the corner of the room. Unfortunately, the orange-haired bastard was between him and his woman… Unfortunately for Recoome, that is.

"Shut up woman," he softly said, then regretted it. He shouldn't be getting her any more upset with him than she already was. He had told himself that before. He guessed that the actual feeling that he could be seriously injured by this fight put him a bit on edge. Killed was, as he had told Recoome, unlikely, seeing as he wanted to reach his woman in a decent amount of time. He wanted to be next to her and feel her flesh sooner than he thought he would. He found himself wanting to make her anger directed somewhere other than him as quickly as possible. Having her upset with him to the point where she was prepared to mate with another was like a constant needle driving into his stomach at all times. Now that she was depending on him for her own survival, it was even worse. This big oaf in his way was only a simple obstacle that needed to be destroyed. And destruction was Vegeta's middle name.

Recoome kicked out his leg in one of his unmanly poses. Vegeta just stood there, used to Ginyu's odd teachings to the other members of the Ginyu Force. He wondered whether or not they had replaced Gurd yet, and if they had, who was the new teammate for Ginyu. He remembered how he had sliced off that short and fat annoyance's head with a smile on his face. He was certainly glad that only one of the Ginyu Force members was sent to "kill him." If the entire squad had shown up… Vegeta didn't want to think about what would have happened. The thought that Frieza would have taken his woman by force sparked a flame in him, though. All he would have to do is fan it into a raging inferno and Recoome would be dead in an instant.

Recoome relaxed into his normal stance, preparing for an easy fight. If that was what he was expecting, then Vegeta was going to give him a few surprises. He raced forward in one step, closing the distance between the two of them in a fraction of a second and landed a solid punch right smack in the middle of the orange-haired freak's face. He jumped back and landed on the farthest wall, taking another jump to land on the floor where he had first taken off from. He silently praised himself for his own eloquence and flexibility while fighting, even after a month without a single day of training.

"Uhh! My beautiful face! You'll pay for that, Vegeta!" Recoome yelled.

Vegeta laughed at the unnatural indent he created. "Actually, Recoome, I think I fixed something. My nausea just went away. It was like _magic_ ," he mocked, laughing again.

"Get over here, you pint-sized wimp!"

"Wimp?" Vegeta asked, pretending to be naïve about the comment. He took a step forward and taunted Recoome with a finger, egging him on.

"Okay, shorty! But you asked for it!" he yelled, charging forward in an obvious offensive movement. Vegeta snorted and dodged him with ease. He was surprised at how easily he was moving. Maybe Recoome had been the one with a lack of training. Either way, he still kept his guard up, in case the orange-haired freak decided to pull something unexpected out of his sleeve.

"Vegeta…" the female whined, tears cascading down her face like a waterfall. Vegeta looked over at her and tried not to scowl at her open show of weakness.

Recoome's leg came rebounding from behind, aiming for Vegeta's head. Not paying complete attention, Vegeta jumped at the sight of the oncoming attack, and Recoome's kick landed into Vegeta's gut. He coughed loudly as he was thrown against the far wall. He fell to the floor next to the aqua-haired female.

"I thought I told you to shut up, woman," he seethed through clenched teeth, standing back up again. He glared at his foe with malice to be admired for. He, once again, stepped forward threateningly. He knew the effect was gone by now, but he did it anyway. He would do whatever he pleased before killing this mother fucker. He considered killing him slowly, but decided against it. He would want his ugly mug out of his sight as soon as he could make it possible.

Vegeta charged once more, attempting the same attack as before, but Recoome was prepared and blocked his fist, grabbing it with a single hand. He squeezed, and Vegeta let out a low yelp at the unexpected and sudden shit load of pain. He jumped over and landed a kick in the side of Recoome's neck, hearing something lightly snap. His fist was instantly released as the orange-haired freak crumpled to the ground, clutching his neck. Oh, yeah. Something was definitely broken in there.

Remembering the aqua-haired female-in-need on the ground behind him, he charged an energy beam in both hands, his palms facing Recoome's pathetic form, cringing on the ground at his feet. After a few moments of considering how much force he could put into a blast without destroying the room he currently occupied, he released the energy in a small sphere. It collided with the middle of Recoome's back, creating a cloud of smoke and dust around the two of them. When Vegeta was confident that he had won the battle, he turned to the female behind him and slowly made his way to her.

Before he could reach her though, a speck of fear entered the female's face. Before he could register that the power level behind him had not completely dissipated, his feet were swung out from under him. He gently swung, upside-down, his legs in Recoome's hands. He let fly a couple punches into his captor's stomach and was flung, face first, into the side of the wall opposite the aqua-haired female.

"You want to play rough?!" Recoome yelled as Vegeta staggered to his feet, "Then let's play rough, pipsqueak!" Vegeta shook his head, trying to get his eyes adjusted to his surroundings before his opponent attempted another offensive attack. But even before he could accurately see, he heard the female's ear-piercing screech and jumped at the sound. "Here we have your pretty girl," Recoome said, full of unwarranted pride, "Now you're going to do what I say or I'm going to rip her pretty head right off of her pretty neck." He snorted a laugh at his apparent triumph.

Vegeta, now able to see clearly again, looked up to find the big oaf's left hand around his woman's fragile neck. He could feel his blood temperature rising dramatically with every whimper that exited the female's mouth. Each of her inhales was sharp and every exhale was a whimper. He could literally feel her heart beating uncontrollably against the inside of her chest. He could sense the blood in her body rushing around as her adrenaline spiked like a frightened animal.

"Listen up, Vegeta, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once, got it?" He paused to make sure that the Saiyan Prince was listening carefully to each of his words. "I want you to—"

The female screeched as she hit the ground hard. Vegeta raced forward and grabbed her around the waist, dragging her away from Recoome's bloody body on the floor. He struggled to stand up, holding his hand to the place on his forehead where Vegeta's energy beam had made a direct hit.

"That was a _dirty_ trick," Recoome said, "But I won't—"

Vegeta fired another energy blast, aimed directly for the fucker's chest. It drove into his flesh with such force, catastrophically creating a hole where his heart once beat to the rhythm of his own breath.

Vegeta panted as he focused on the lack of energy emanating from Recoome. This time, he certainly wasn't getting up.

Before he had time to even turn around, the aqua-haired female wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him like a wet towel. When he felt her grip on him slipping as her energy quickly faded into oblivion, he grabbed her waist and lifted her up against his chest. Then, he just let her hang on him. Because that was what he was there for. Because he wanted nothing more than for her to lean on him when she needed to. Because he knew that he had made a mistake. Because her reaction was her means of forgiveness. Because he knew he didn't deserve it. Because she had given it to him anyway.

Because she was his… and he was hers… _forever_ …


	17. The Reasons Why

**Chapter Seventeen: The Reasons Why**

Bulma had passed out for a moment or so, but it wasn't very long before she could open her eyes again. When Recoome had grabbed her around the neck, the lack of oxygen to her brain had made her feel a little faint. And for good reason, too. Vegeta had managed to get her off of his neck while she was out and place her on the bed.

When Bulma sat back up, she saw her protector leaning over her husband of only a couple minutes ago. At least she wouldn't have to stay with him forever because of the no-divorce rules of her family's tradition. She felt absolutely horrible for feeling that way, but she couldn't help it. She now realized that Vegeta was the man she wanted to be with for the rest of her life, not Yamcha.

Nothing would ever be able to make her feel like her thoughts about Yamcha's death were acceptable, because they weren't. She just knew that she had made a mistake. Not for leaving Vegeta, because, in all honesty, he deserved it for what he did to her, but instead for bringing her problems to Yamcha. She turned to him only because of a few improper reasons. First of all, she had been forced to marry the man. Second, she felt that it would make Vegeta jealous. And the third was to see if she could teach Vegeta a lesson, that he couldn't have whoever he wanted… that he couldn't have her. But she knew that was wrong now. She knew that he could have her as much as he wanted. And in whatever way he wanted.

Because of his previous… violent actions, they had both learned a lesson. Bulma was just sorry that Yamcha was wrongfully thrown into the middle of it. And it had cost him his life for a reason he wasn't fighting for. For a reason he wasn't even made aware of. Plus, she knew that Vegeta was probably happy about his death as well. It made Bulma feel queasy, like they had been the ones who killed him. As if they had physically murdered him. At least his death looked like it was quick. From where Bulma had been looking from the corner of the room, he was dead within a couple seconds after Recoome had slammed his fist into his skull. Bulma flinched, remembering the loud crack and snap that followed the brutal assault.

"What are you doing?" Bulma screeched, jumping off her seat on the bed and nervously watching as her guardian angel lifted the mangled corpse into his arms and headed for the window.

"We have to dispose of him. I'll drop him out the window and go outside to pick him up again. I'll bury the body where no one will find him. Then I'll come back to get you. We need to finish finding those Balls to get rid of Frieza."

Bulma stared at him for a moment, looking him up and down. He would develop a few bruises from his fight. And he was bleeding on his upper left arm where he was thrown against the wall. She also realized that the slash along his stomach seemed to be opened a little bit from when he was hit by that orange-haired guy's kick. He was bleeding through his blue, spandex shirt.

Bulma couldn't have believed that someone's legs could be that thick, never mind their entire body. At first, she didn't think Vegeta would be able to defend himself against the orange-haired guy, considering their difference in sizes, but she hadn't once doubted Vegeta's ability to protect her. Which actually surprised her a bit; her confidence in him, that is. Especially after all the horrible thoughts she had about him and how she never wanted to see him again. She couldn't believe that she actually thought those things now, despite the fact that he still wasn't totally forgiven. She wondered if it was now safe to bring up the conversation about his past, or if last time was only a warning. The simple fact that she honestly didn't know the answer to that question was the primary reason was why he wasn't entirely forgiven. Although, she had mostly forgiven him for what he had done to her. That part was easily identifiable.

Bulma anxiously watched as Yamcha's lifeless body was tossed out the window like a sack of potatoes. Vegeta then walked for the door.

"Wait!" Bulma called, running to him, not too eager to have him leave her after the previous ordeal she had just gone through. She knew it was definitely more work and stress for him than her, but she was more vulnerable than he was, so the response was kind of expected. Even Vegeta didn't seem to be surprised by her initial reaction to being alone after the latest occurrence. Instead, he just waved a hand out in front of himself, into the hotel's hallway, signaling for her to walk ahead of him. It was like he almost expected her to want to come along, which Bulma didn't doubt at all. It was in her nature after all, and sometimes she wondered if Vegeta knew more about her than even she did. It was a scary but intensely possible statistic.

Whether she liked it or not, this was where she would always return…

"Hurry up, woman," Vegeta said, catching up to her after closing the door behind them. "Before someone sees the corpse outside." Bulma nodded and hurried along, now having to quicken her pace to keep up with him.

They reached the front lobby and made their way to the place where Vegeta had thrown the figure of what was once Yamcha. Bulma decided to try and avert her gaze from the general area where Yamcha lay. She didn't want to remember him as a dead body. She also decided that she wouldn't get anything better, since the memory of his fear-infested expression before he died was glued to the forefront of her mind at the moment. It would be hard for her to picture anything but his last expression when thinking about him in the future.

Vegeta leaned over and swung the loser's carcass over his right shoulder, noticing how the aqua-haired female refused to look at him while carrying the load. He had to fly to get the body away from their general area, but then he'd have to take the female with him as well. If she didn't want to see the loser's body more than she wanted to go with him, then she would have to stay behind. He wondered which one she'd choose.

"Vegeta…" Bulma began, not knowing where to start with what she knew she wanted to say to him. He just looked over his shoulder at her, awaiting a further statement or question. "Vegeta…" For some reason the words wouldn't come out.

"You don't have to come with me, woman," he plainly stated, and Bulma wanted to punch him because of his naivety. That had nothing to do with what she was talking about. Or _trying_ to talk about, for that matter. "If you stay here…" he began, and then changed his choice of words, "I won't be gone that long."

"No, it's not that," Bulma pressed, thinking that she would have given almost anything to give Vegeta the ability to read her mind in that moment. "It's just that… Yamcha… He's dead."

"I can see that."

"No, no. What I mean to say is that he shouldn't have died."

Vegeta glanced at the carcass, then back to the aqua-haired female stuttering before him. "If you say so."

"No, it's not that either. What I really mean to say is that he died… because of me… and you."

"Me? I don't recall killing him… Although I do remember thinking about it. And as far as I'm concerned, you were cowering in a corner as he went to Hell."

"Vegeta, please," Bulma begged, "Just think about what I'm telling you because, for some reason, I know how to say it, but it won't come out."

"Then don't say anything," he said in a bothered tone, turning around to jump into the air, preparing to leave the female behind.

"Wait!"

"I'll be back in a half an hour, woman. Don't do anything stupid, alright?" And then he flew off, leaving Bulma on the ground to ponder how she would say what she wanted to say when he returned… And don't do anything stupid…? What the hell was that supposed to mean?!

Bulma huffed and plopped down in the grass. She hoped no one would bother her about sitting there until Vegeta came back. She leaned against the air until she was sprawled out next to the hotel. She was actually quite comfortable, believe it or not. Now she really didn't want anyone to bother her. She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, but it wouldn't come. The sight of Yamcha popped into her head, but it was something different from his dead body or the look of fear on his face before being sent to oblivion. It was when he was standing over her, back in the hotel room.

When the two of them had first entered their room, Yamcha had been very persistent about sleeping with her, and he was forceful enough to demand it immediately. When Bulma had refused him what he wanted, he became angry, and after a few moments of arguing and yelling, he had slapped her and threatened to harm her if she didn't do as he commanded. She also remembered something about him saying that he would do to her ten times what he had done to the women he had been with the night before. Bulma recalled that in that moment, all she wanted was for Vegeta to come back. All she wanted for her guardian angel to come rescue her like he always did before… And he had come. No matter how angry she was at him, somehow she felt comforted by the warmth that he would have been there for her. An unusually big part of her had wanted Yamcha to bring her harm because then she knew that her guardian angel would come… and make everything right again.

Back in the woods, Vegeta had told Goku that he was always there, always keeping an eye on her when he didn't need it for himself. Bulma had doubted it before, but she knew that what he said wasn't just to get Goku riled up. It was sincere and honest. There hadn't been one ounce of deceit or dishonesty in his voice.

Bulma knew what she was going to say to him when he returned. She was going to apologize for being so stupid. She was going to tell him that what she did, by not even talking to him or understanding the reason why, was wrong. She was going to tell him about everything she felt for him, up until the moment she laid her eyes on him in all his magnificent, godlike glory. He was the most important person in her life and she had thoughtlessly put him away like a toy that she didn't appreciate anymore. Now it was time to admit that she was wrong and would regret it that decision for the rest of her life. It would forever be the one thing she would needlessly desire to change, but know that it could never be done.

Bulma sat there, awaiting Vegeta's return, and when he appeared in the cloudy sky above, she stood, preparing to spill out everything she wanted to say to him.

"V—" she started, only to be cut off.

"My father was killed," he said simply. "I never knew my mother. The murderer of my father, King Vegeta, is Frieza. When I was young, my father told me that I would one day be the ruler of my planet. But Frieza took our race under his wing, claiming to have our best interests at heart. But in reality, he only had his own personal desires on his filthy mind. He poisoned the population, _my_ population, with lies. He took me from my home and my father. He trained me… personally. He enjoyed watching me suffer. At that time, I, too, was poisoned by his lies. He had convinced me that he was no threat to my people… my father's people." He paused to take in Bulma's expression. It clearly said that this wasn't what she had expected of him when he returned. Her expression said that she partially understood why the subject had been a sensitive one for him.

"Frieza called me to him one day… I was twelve at the time… he called my father to him as well. And right before my eyes, he murdered my father, King Vegeta of the planet Vegeta… the man that I believed everyone in the universe feared and respected… It was then that I decided that I no longer liked him… it sounds a bit funny now that I think about it.

"After he destroyed my people and obliterated my planet, leaving me as the only survivor, I decided that I would one day kill that homosexual lizard." He paused again, this time not bothering to check the female's expression. He already knew what it would be. "So I pretended that I didn't mind. For nine fucking years I _worked_ for that bastard!" He took a breath before continuing. The last thing he needed was for the aqua-haired female to feel as if he were to attack her again. "I trained so severely. I would train until I reached an inch of my life, and then I would push myself even more. I had nothing to live for except to kill Frieza, so the rest of my life was focused on how I could successfully carry out my self-designated task. It was what I promised my father and my people that I would do. It was so that they didn't die in vain. By killing Frieza, I would be showing that my race was not as weak as he believed them to be. I'm going to make sure that keeping me alive was the worst mistake he could have ever made… and he'll pay the highest price for that exclusive and deadly mistake. I will die before I let him live…"

Bulma stood where she was, feeling as if she didn't know what to do with herself. Her arms hung limply at her sides and her legs felt like jelly. She wanted to sit down to get rid of some of the pressure, but she wanted to remain standing at the same time, as if the little bit of discomfort could ever equal what Vegeta had gone through. She had so many questions to ask him. She had no idea that his father was a king. And didn't that make him a prince? And he was the last surviving member of his race…? And what species was he?

"And then I got a new assignment," Vegeta said, staring up at the sky, "That sort of ruined everything I had worked for." He looked back down at her and she instantly knew what assignment he was talking about by the look he gave her. "My new charge… a female from the planet known as Earth… You caused a lot of problems for me, woman, if I hadn't made that clear yet. I was almost prepared to kill Frieza, and you drag me to this pathetic planet of yours where I get no training whatsoever for over a month. Do you realize what that's done to me? It took me over a minute to kill Recoome. That just goes to show that I'm out of shape… or worse."

"If it makes you feel any better, you don't look out of shape to me…" she said, trying her best not to smile.

"Then I get the message that Frieza knew about what I was trying to do all along, and that he was thoroughly prepared for it. That everything I had worked for for nine years had just been tossed aside as if my life meant nothing. I had only myself to blame… If only I had been stronger, then my father wouldn't have died in the first place. I would have been able to save my people from their unfortunately inevitable destruction. I would have been the current ruler of a planet of elites… and I would have been the best. I would have been feared and respected, as I had believed my father was. I found that if I just did what that bastard asked of me, he would have been satisfied and left me to my business, but it turns out he has been toying with me ever since I began training under him when he first arrived on my planet. When he first started plotting to kill everyone… Everyone but me… his loyal lapdog."

Bulma once again didn't know what to do with herself. Taking a chance that her voice wouldn't fail her at the wrong moment, she spoke. "Vegeta… I'm sorry I tried to bring this up before… I really am… I just don't know what came over me… but I have a few questions about—"

"I need to tell you something else, woman, and this is probably a bit more important. You can ask your questions after I'm finished… I am of the Saiyan race. As I've told you, I am the last of my kind. Saiyans are one of the most powerful species of warriors in the universe. Our primary motive is to destroy the inhabitants of a planet that can sustain life and sell them for profit. We rape, plunder, murder, assassinate and mutilate anyone or anything that stands in our way. With all the respect in the world, you've probably met the most pathetic Saiyan that ever existed."

Bulma guessed that by "most pathetic," Vegeta meant "nice," he just didn't want to say it. She never knew that there was even such a race such as the Saiyans. In fact, being the genius that she was, she was surprised to find that she had never even come across the word while reading or even talking to people from distant planets. It was something she had never heard of before. She found it exceptionally intriguing.

"And the most important part of why I'm telling you this is that Saiyans have another form that only reveals itself during a full moon. I'm telling you this now because tonight is when the Earth's full moon will show her face."

"A _true form_? You mean this isn't what you really look like?" Bulma asked, and earned herself a smirk when her tone revealed that she wasn't pleased with the information.

"Not exactly. The Ozaaru is a Saiyan's true form, but I wouldn't give "true form" that definition. Especially for me," he smirked, "My true form is what you see now, woman… and even the things you don't see." Bulma turned aside in a fake cough as she blushed.

"What _is_ the Ozaaru, exactly?" she asked, regaining her composure.

"A giant ape," he shrugged. Bulma almost fell over.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" he asked, frowning at her response.

"I can't tell," she laughed, "You always look like that."

"Very funny," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Would you prefer it if I didn't?"

"Didn't what? Look like you're about to kill everyone every second of your life… Yeah, that would be nice."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, once again, not in the mood. "We have to get going. Where are the Dragon Balls?"

"…At Capsule Corp. I left them in my bedroom."

"Fine then. We'll go there first. Is there any possibility that we can avoid your home's inhabitants?"

"You mean my parents?" she asked, sort of knowing why he wouldn't want to say that word after the explanation of his past. "Maybe. I don't know if they'll be there or not."

"We should head there now. I don't feel like flying anymore, so, unfortunately, we'll have to move at your pace instead."

"Don't complain if you're the one to decide that in the first place," she muttered and Vegeta concluded that it would be best for both of them if he didn't respond.

They began their walk back to Capsule Corporation at a fairly quick pace because of Vegeta. Bulma found that she had to take two dramatic steps to keep up with one of his regular ones.

"So…" she said, excited. Vegeta turned to her, slightly confused about her tone. "Your father… was King of your planet…"

"I find that you like to repeat things that I've already told you, woman. As well as pushing on my nerves." He folded his arms and walked a little faster. Bulma jogged to stay with him.

"That makes you the prince…"

"Of a dead race, mind you."

"So… you're royalty…"

"Thank you, Captain-Obvious." He sped up a little more. Bulma moved her legs faster as well.

"I didn't know that," she said. Vegeta came to a direct halt, causing Bulma to race forward and then have to come back.

"What do you want, woman?" he asked, exasperated by her endless chattering. "Just tell me so I can give it to you!"

"I don't want anything—"

"Then why are you irritating me?"

Bulma crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him. "Actually, what I wanted to say was that I'm sorry…"

"Whatever it is, you're forgiven," he growled, beginning to walk again, picking up the same pace as before. Bulma caught up to him, her breathing a little extra heavy.

"Stop for a second, will you? I'm trying to be serious here." Vegeta paused, mid stride and turned his dark, onyx eyes on her, stressing for her to speak. "I shouldn't have told you to go away back at the hospital and I'm sorry. I thought that marrying Yamcha would make me feel better about it, but it ended up making me feel even worse. I really feel horrible about that. I just wanted to tell you."

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing, woman..." Vegeta said, uncrossing his arms and turning back to the sidewalk. He began to walk again, but this time not as fast. He kept his eyes on the ground for a minute or so as he judged how slowly he would have to walk to get back to the female's house without having to hear her prattle anymore.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked after a few minutes had gone by, but she knew Vegeta still knew what she was referring to.

"You can't guess? You're honestly going to cross that line just to hear what you want to hear?"

"I don't understand…"

"If you apologize to someone," he said, his voice a bit raised in resentment and annoyance, "And then that person tells you that you shouldn't be the one apologizing, what in Hell's name do you _think_ they would mean?!"

"… Oh," Bulma said, having to turn away to conceal her little smile. She felt a bit crappy for trying to make him elaborate, but even so… He did kind of say he was sorry. And even if he didn't, Bulma could tell that he felt that way nonetheless.

"And when I tell you not to do anything stupid, that doesn't end just because I got back," he added, making Bulma conceal another smile. She pretended to be interested in something on the other side of the street as she thought about something, anything, which would make her smile disappear quickly and easily. The last thing she wanted was to burst out laughing at what he said when it, in no way, was meant to be humorous.

As her smile was forced to finally fade, Bulma felt Vegeta grab her and swing her into his arms. He rolled his eyes when she looked up at him.

"I've had enough of your inexhaustible speaking, woman. I think we could both agree that getting to your home as fast as possible would be best."

"And why do you think that I would agree to something like that?" she asked shrewdly, and then squealed with delight as he ran down the empty streets of Satan City.


	18. Something New to Fear

**Chapter Eighteen: Something New to Fear**

Bulma put a gentle hand against Vegeta's chest, indicating for him to stop, as they touched ground and finally arrived at the entrance to Capsule Corporation. Bulma was worried about Yamcha's death. Her parents had no idea what had happened within the past few hours. They believed that she and Yamcha were probably sleeping together at this very moment. Her mother was probably happy about that… Bulma never did get used to her mother's perverted attitude, and sometimes the things she said were just… ugh… And at the completely wrong moments, too. It didn't get much worse than that.

"Do you think we can avoid making any type of contact with anyone in here?" Vegeta asked, looking around at the windows to make sure no one was stalking them. Bulma rolled her eyes. The only people currently inside Capsule Corp. now were probably her mother and father. She guessed it was possible that a friend of theirs was over for a visit, but it was unlikely.

"We can't avoid my parents, Vegeta," Bulma said, "I have to tell them what happened to Yamcha." Her stomach tightened up, knowing that she would have to relive the nausea-inducing moment when she told her parents. Her father would most likely want every little detail. "And that I'm going to look for the rest of the Dragon Balls with you."

"What will they say to that?" he rhetorically asked her.

"Come on. We should get this over with," she said, grabbing onto his wrist and pulling him along behind her. Although, it was near to impossible for her to actually, physically pull him. So, technically, she was just holding onto him as he willingly followed her.

"What do you mean, "we," woman? Couldn't you just tell them yourself? Why do I need to go stand in front of them?"

"Well," Bulma said shyly, looking at the ground and slowing her walking pace as she spoke, "There was something else that I wanted to tell them." Vegeta felt her emotions rise and heat was drawn to her face.

"And what would that be?" he asked cautiously.

"I wanted to tell Mom and Dad that I… don't want to marry another man right away just because Yamcha was killed. I wanted to tell them that… that I have you…" Vegeta then felt a rush of sadness breeze through her. He scrunched his eyebrows together. Why would 'having him' make her feel like the world was coming down as a burden on her shoulders? That was strange. Maybe it had something to do with the reason why the aqua-haired female married the scar-faced loser in the first place. Maybe it had something to do with how he had hurt her. He gently released the pressure that he had put on his eyebrows, pondering the thought.

"Then why do _I_ have to be there?" he asked.

"You're going to have to back yourself up. My parents think you're some scumbag that crashed the Briefs' ceremony, hurt me, almost killed my bodyguard and then took me away from my home against my will. I… didn't tell them why I was sent to the hospital though. In fact, I don't believe they even knew that I was at the hospital at all."

"First of all, I don't need to back myself up because I can do whatever the fuck I want and no one on this weakling-inhabited planet could ever dream of doing anything about it. Second, I think you just want me there to back _you_ up, woman."

"I never denied that," she said simply, letting a light smile glide over her features. Bulma opened the door to her home, entering first as Vegeta held the door by reaching over her head with his arm. Vegeta, being a Saiyan, was probably the only person on the planet who could have sensed the small flinch that the female outwardly presented. He immediately knew why and tried to redirect his thoughts somewhere else, but they wouldn't go.

"Woman," he called, causing her to turn around and look at him. He walked up to her and instantly grabbed each side of her hips with his big hands. He locked their lips together for a sweet but fleeting moment in time as he pulled her middle towards him. She moaned and panted for only an instant. He let her go only a few seconds later, but the little experience had been enough to make her dizzy. Vegeta had steadied her with a hand on her shoulder before she almost fell over.

"Oh _my_ , dear," a voice called from down the hallway. Bulma jumped at her mother's shocked tone, quickly brushing Vegeta's hand off of her because of some unnatural instinct. Mrs. Briefs had just witnessed something in which the only logical explanation from her point of view was that her daughter was a whore, and the message was clearly sent to Bulma. Vegeta just stood there and she wondered if he knew what had just gone through both her and her mother's heads.

"Mom," Bulma said, pretending that she hadn't seen her mother there until now, "Mom, I need to tell you and Dad something. It's urgent."

"What is it?" Dr. Briefs asked, coming into view from behind Bulma's mother. It looked as if he had been working before they had arrived. She doubted her father minded the interruption though. He never minded it when Bulma did it as a child, so now was probably no different.

"It's… It's… Yamcha…"

"What about Yamcha, sweetheart?" her mother asked, taking a long glance at Vegeta. He remained cool and collected, not wincing or hesitating at anything Bulma's mother said. Bulma admired him for that. she wished she could face her parents like that.

"He's dead," Vegeta interrupted, seeing as Mrs. Briefs had been looking at him when she had asked the question, expecting an answer from someone else. It was most likely that Bulma was her target. "He was murdered by a freak named Recoome. Recoome would have taken your daughter had I not intervened when I did. I apologize for not being able to save your new son-in-law's life as well."

Bulma wanted to yell at him. Even _she_ could tell that he had wanted Yamcha to be killed. She scolded herself because she had felt the same exact thing when she had seen Vegeta coming to her rescue back in the hotel room.

"You saved Bulma's life?" Dr. Briefs asked incredulously.

"He did, Dad," Bulma said, stepping forward a few inches. "I owe my life to him."

"Wait just a darn minute," her father said, looking Vegeta up and down, "You're the same young man from before. You're the one who took our daughter away from us." Bulma took a deep breath as she watched her father's temper boil over. "What are you doing here, boy?" he asked threateningly.

"And you _kissed_ this man?" Bulma's mother asked. Her face was paler than a full moon. Bulma wondered if she would faint.

"How dare you!" Dr. Briefs yelled in anger, wagging a finger in Vegeta's face. Bulma heard him let out a low growl at the close contact invasion of his personal space bubble. "How dare you touch my daughter after what you've done to her!"

"Dad, please," Bulma begged, holding out both hands to her father. He ignored them.

"Listen up, old man, because I'm only going to say this once and your hearing is probably failing you by now. I would never hurt your daughter for any reason." (Bulma flinched a bit and Vegeta noted her movement for later) "I will always protect her with my life. And if you were smart, I would have been your first choice for this female's mate. My abilities far surpass those of any weakling that you were going to pick at that stupid ceremony, anyway. You should be thanking me. Next, I didn't harm her. That big oaf did. I harmed him because of what he did to your daughter, not because I felt like it, although don't go thinking that I don't do things that I feel like doing. I do what a please. And—"

"And the Dragon Ball hunt was _my_ idea," Bulma jumped, "I wanted to get out of the house for a few days with a friend. He didn't take me against my will. I honestly wanted to go _more_ than he did."

"I think you're a little more than friends, sweetheart," her mother added, reminding Bulma of how much she hated it when her mother did that. "So, what do you want to do? Don't worry about Yamcha. Your father and I will take care of telling his family. I'll let you know when the funeral will take place." Dr. Brief's arms were firmly crossed over his chest in defiance. But both he and Bulma knew that he would never even attempt to get the better of Bulma's mother. It was a lost battle for her father from the get-go. He had absolutely no chance of ever changing the mind of Mrs. Briefs. That was for sure.

"We were going to go find the rest of the Dragon Balls so we can make a wish."

"Sweetheart, don't forget your responsibilities and accountabilities as the heiress to the Capsule Corporation. You need to have a husband. Is this… young man your choice?" she asked, winking at Vegeta.

"Mo-om!" Bulma cried, "No! Vegeta and I aren't getting married… and don't do that to him! You're almost fifty years old and he's in his early twenties! That's just gross and you know it."

"But, darling, you need to have a baby to be the next heir. That's your foremost responsibility as a young Briefs woman. And you need to have that child with your husband. You should really just marry this man and have a child so you don't have to worry about all this anymore."

Bulma's jaw dropped. This was exactly something that she would expect from her mother, too. She just didn't think she'd bring _that_ up with Vegeta standing right next to her. She took her chances and glanced at Vegeta, expecting to see a horrified expression on his face. But instead, his familiar smirk was placed there. Bulma stopped looking like a moron and closed her mouth. She looked at her guardian angel in disgust, as if to say, "how can you smirk at a time like this?"

"When do we get started?" he asked her, making her face blush. "Although we could do without the stupid ceremony. And having a child is too annoying. So… what's left?" he asked, smirking even more. She felt her entire face go red at what he was implying. And right in front of her parents, nonetheless!

"Well, Bulma's bedroom is on the right of this hallway if you keep going down until you reach the—"

"Mom! _Stop_ it! We don't need a bedroom!"

"Oh," she replied sneakily, thinking Bulma had meant the worst translation of her wording as humanly possible, "I understand. Then you can go hunt for your little balls now. Make sure you come back by tomorrow afternoon because I'll have your lunch prepared—"

"Mom!"

"I know, I know. You're a bashful one, aren't you? You know… when your father and I first—"

"LALALALALA!" Bulma covered her ears and ran out the door, Vegeta following behind her at his own pace, softly chuckling along the way. Then, something unwarranted entered his thoughts. Something he hadn't been expecting, but soon realized that he should have. He exited the building, following quickly after the aqua-haired female in front of him.

"Woman!" he called to her, "… Come here. _Now_ ," he commanded with unquestionable authority. Bulma heard his voice and instantly recognized the seriousness of what he was implying. The first thing she thought of was her parents. Were they in any harm? How much time did she have? What was the threat?

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"We have to leave," he stated, "Frieza is going to send his three most powerful people after us next. We need to leave this planet or there may be a lot of unwanted destruction and carnage."

"Wait… What do you mean, 'leave the planet'? Where would we go? What about my parents?"

"We have to leave," he repeated forcefully. "There's nothing else to it. Do you have anything that's suited for space travel?

"Vegeta… Wait, just hold on a minute here. We're not going anywhere. _I'm_ not going anywhere."

"Are you _that_ naïve? Have you learned anything from being around me, woman? Anything at all? I could have been killed by Recoome, but I wasn't. And as much as I hate to say it, it was pure fucking luck that made me survive. I need to get to another planet and train. If we don't leave this pathetic dust ball of a planet _now_ , Frieza will send those three powerful men to kill me and you will face the same fate, but probably _after_ they have their way with you!"

Bulma stood frozen. The images of Recoome attacking her flooded into her mind. Three other men…? That Vegeta claimed were stronger than him? It sounded like it was just to get the two of them off the planet, but it wasn't. Vegeta would have never admitted that anyone in the world was stronger than him unless it was important.

"We could stay one more day, at them most. Do you have a space pod?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Bulma replied, zoning out, "It's my father's. I think he may have a problem about us taking though. Especially if we're going to be gone for a long period of time. He uses it to transport and trade goods with other species. He also uses it to go out and be alone. I really don't think he'll let us take it for a longer time than a couple hours."

"Then we'll just have to tell him that we'll be back in a few hours," he grinned.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"There it is," Bulma said, pointing to the round, white machine in the middle of Capsule Corporation's backyard. "You said that we could stay here for another day, right?"

"No more than that."

"Could we leave tomorrow morning or afternoon instead of tonight then?"

"We couldn't stay here, but we could remain on this planet if you really want."

"What do you mean?"

"… There will be a full moon tonight."

Bulma looked at him for a moment, not comprehending what he had just told her. When she remembered his unbelievable, nut-job story about the Ozaaru being his true form, she almost laughed at him. She took her own advice and held it in.

"We would have to get away from here. Go to some unpopulated area. It would be best if these Earthlings didn't see a Saiyan's true form. They have never encountered the Saiyan race before, and other than me, they never will." He paused, then smirked. "It's too bad that we didn't know about this planet a when I was younger… it would have sold for a high price." Bulma glared at him and he shrugged.

"You do know that I was young back then, too. It wasn't like I didn't exist before you met me."

"On the contrary, woman," he chuckled, "I find that my presence… brings you to life at times…" Bulma noticed that his eyes were swiftly dropping to her lower stomach and further, and knew that if it were any other man in the universe doing so, she would have slapped him then and there.

"Stop that!" she scowled, bringing his eyes back to her face. "I think we should just go. Staying here would just waste time," she said angrily, folding her arms across her stomach. Vegeta chuckled again when he noticed that her stomach was the only place she could fully cross her arms. If she tried to cross them over her chest, her plump breasts would get in the way. He deviously smiled to himself and folded his own arms over his chest, as if to prove that he was better as an inside, made-up, fleeting-at-best competition. "Plus, you need to train. If we land on a planet where I can breathe if I exit the ship," she joked, "then I can wait outside while you increase the gravity."

"What?"

"I said that when we get to a planet, since you need to train and all—"

"No, not that, woman. You said something about the gravity. What was it?"

"That's what I was getting to. I sad that when we land, you could train in the gravity chamber. I can't handle a high gravity, so I would wait outside the ship until you were finished."

Vegeta looked at her incredulously. Bulma glanced down to make sure she didn't have a tail or twelve arms.

"You can do that?" he asked, attempting to hide his shock and impressed expression from her.

"Of course," she beamed. "My father and I built the ship, so if you want to learn how it works, then I'm the girl to ask." She uncrossed her arms and pointed at herself with a thumb, closing her eyes as she smiled at her companion.

"Then we should leave as soon as possible. You don't want to know what happens when the full moon comes out and you're trapped in a small ship with a Saiyan…"

"I can imagine," she mumbled, trying her best to picture a giant ape being the man standing before her. It didn't work out too well.

Vegeta turned to the "Capsule Corporation" inscribed space vessel. He walked to the door and looked at it. Bulma came up next to him and pushed the button that unlocked the door. Steam came out as the pod opened itself. Vegeta stepped inside, looked around cautiously, as if it were a trap, and then stepped in further, analyzing what lay before him. He took in the sight in a cool manner, his arms still folded from before and a content expression on his face, as if he were satisfied with the vessel. Bulma thought it was as if he looked a gift horse in the mouth, and actually reveled in what he found there.

"We'll leave immediately. Go get your things, woman," he said.

"What? You mean like right now? Isn't that a little hasty?"

"Pack your things, woman," he ordered, raising his voice for emphasis. "Or I'm leaving without you."

Bulma jumped and raced for the door to her house, even though she was well aware that he wouldn't leave if she decided to stay. She wondered if she should tell her parents or not. She could be gone for a long time. In fact, the thought had crossed her mind that she could die while out there, and her parents would never know about it if she didn't tell them. Then she thought about what they'd say. They would probably tell her she couldn't go, and she would end up arguing with them, only to side with her mother my means of manipulation and win in the end. It wouldn't be much of an argument from the start. And Vegeta had made it clear that time was something that they couldn't waste. The moon would come out in close to forty-five minutes because of the season. That would mean that they would have to leave in fifteen minutes or less to get out of range from the moon when it became full from the sun's reflection.

Bulma knew that machine _better_ than she knew the back of her hand. It was like a second nature to her to know how to use the ship. She knew how fast it could go and what it liked and didn't like to happen to it while in space and the atmospheres of certain planets. It sort of felt like it was another piece of her body, like a third arm, just not attached to the rest of her.

She made it to her room without being spotted by her parents. She hadn't seen them at all, so she guessed they might have gone out back through one of their trails in the woods. The trails were, short, so she wouldn't have a lot of time alone.

She grabbed the largest backpack she owned and began shoving clothes and other needed things inside. She quickly went through every part of her room, looking for anything she might have needed in the near or far future. She finished with the clothes and moved from her dresser to her vanity. She ignored the makeup, feeling that if she hadn't needed it so far in her and Vegeta's relationship, why start now, right? She grabbed her hairbrush and moved on to her second vanity, which held her jewelry. She looked at a few things and grabbed a diamond necklace that she never wore because she didn't like the way it looked on her. She didn't know why she took it. it just seemed like something to take along for the ride. She went to her desk and decided that she'd only bring a pencil and paper if she thought she was going to get bored. And she knew that if she was travelling with Vegeta, it was almost impossible for her to be bored. She grabbed a pen anyway and made her way to her bed. Deciding that there was nothing important there, she went to her nightstand. She picked up a watch and was surprised to see that it was working perfectly. She threw it in her bag and opened the drawer. Inside was something that made her eyes pop out of her head. A box of condoms lay right in front of her. Sure, she hadn't gone in this drawer in a while, but she had no idea that the darn things were in there. She slowly came to the conclusion that her mother must have put them there after her and Vegeta left the house only twenty minutes ago. She cursed under her breath at herself as she reluctantly threw them into her bag. _Better safe than sorry_ , she thought.

She walked over to her closet and opened the door. When everything fell on top of her, she cursed again and slammed it shut, muttering angrily as she made her way back outside and into the backyard of her home. She hadn't taken any food along because the space pod was loaded with food. That was one things they'd never run out of. And unless Vegeta ate like a black hole, they would be fine for the entire trip….


	19. Planet Aaraa

**Chapter Nineteen: Planet Aaraa**

"Woman! Where are you?!" Vegeta called from the inside of the space pod after a few minutes had passed. Bulma came running out of the house and raced around to the backyard, hearing him call for her.

"What is it?" she asked, panting as she bent over to catch her breathe.

"We have to leave," he stated, standing in the doorway to the spacecraft.

"Yes, I _know_ that," she huffed, bending her head down, her aqua hair falling into her face. Her backpack was held tightly on her back by the thick green straps on her shoulders. It had been too heavy to carry on only her right shoulder, so she decided to use both instead.

"Then why weren't you here a minute ago?" he asked spitefully, folding his arms at her. She rolled her eyes, not in the mood to argue when she couldn't even catch her breath. She stood up, groaning with the pressure, and walked over to the entrance to the vessel. Vegeta didn't move as she entered, so she just went around him, ignoring the irritated look on his face. She made her way to the bottom deck and dropped off her bag. She checked the refrigerator for food to find that there was plenty for the trip. She checked the fuel to find that they could have gone all around the universe and back again without having to stop for a refill. Lastly, she checked the closet to find that there were plenty of clothes. There was also a plethora of blue spandex, almost identical to Vegeta's outfit. It wasn't quite the same though. There weren't any sleeves on any of them. Bulma closed the closet's doors, hoping that they weren't going anywhere with extremely harsh weather conditions. She had packed clothes for warm and cold weather, but not for anything really extreme. She even brought a bathing suit, just in case she found a hot spring. She knew for sure that Goku, or anyone else for that matter, wouldn't be interrupting her if she was on another planet. The thought made her excited. She would have a lot of alone time as well, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Being chased around all day as a child made her appreciate it when she had a moment to herself. It was like she was going on an extended vacation.

Bulma heard the huge door to the pod shut as she made her way back up the ladder to the main floor. Vegeta was pacing inside, obviously not happy with the fact that he couldn't just leave on his own. The fact that Bulma was the only one out of the two of them who knew how to work and pilot the ship gave her an over-inflated feeling of power and natural authority. Especially because it was Vegeta who needed _her_ this time.

"Where do you want to go first?" she asked him, walking over to the control panels.

Vegeta folded his arms in annoyance at his own uselessness and need for another's assistance. Bulma managed not to laugh. "It doesn't matter where you take us, woman. We just need to be away from this pathetic, backwards planet. Your species is too weak to handle what would be coming for them if we stayed."

"Thanks," she muttered in response, turning on the machine. A low rumbling noise started up, followed by a loud pop that made Bulma jump every time she heard it. She hadn't noticed if Vegeta had started from it. After the pop, the engine started running louder and all the controls went online. The lights blinked once and then remained on, blinking only a few more times afterwards to show that the systems were running in mint condition. "I'm going to take us to the next sector, to the right of Earth. That shouldn't take too long. Maybe an hour or so, but not much more than that."

"Whatever."

"If you'd like to drive, then be my guest," she sarcastically offered, as if to say that he should respect her more because he needed her and her expertise on how to control the space pod to physically leave this planet.

"I have better things to do than play with some stupid toy of yours," he barked, heading for the ladder to get out of her sight. Bulma guessed that he wasn't taking the rely-on-someone-else part of their trip very well… And they hadn't actually started it yet. They weren't even off the ground. _This is going to be a long vacation_ , Bulma thought to herself.

She checked the fuel meter once again, feeling that it was something that required more than one check. It was, by far, the most important thing that they needed. If they ran out too soon, then they would be trapped, drifting along through space where they wouldn't be found until long after they had died. But luckily, the meter read the same as the one on the bottom floor. They truly had enough fuel to make it around the universe and back again. The gas tank took up almost half of the pod because it was expected that long trips without regular pit stops would often be taken.

The lever for takeoff was right in front of her. All she would have to do was hit it and they would start to hit the planet's atmosphere. After that, they would be at the mercy of space. The thought that her parents were going to return to the house to find a lot of her things gone worried her. They would wonder where she went, and they may very well send out a search party to find her. Then again, her father would absolutely notice that the Capsule Corporation space pod was gone, so he would know that sending out a search party would do them no good.

The fact that her father didn't have any other pods that could travel out into space worried her. There would be no one coming after them. Sometimes it was a good thing because you had someone who would probably catch up to them if they stopped if they needed help. The empty feeling that she was truly going to be alone with the Prince of a dead race for probably a longer time than she expected swelled up inside her. There would be no one behind them. No familiarities backing them up. There would be no one to look out for her, except for Vegeta. And no one to look out for him but her, whether he liked it or not.

Bulma stood there, staring at the lever that was directly in front of her. The lever that would make all of her emotions of leaving become a reality. She would be all by herself out there. She would have to take care of herself. There were no second chances after they cleared the atmosphere. There would be no turning back, for either of them…

She slowly lifted a hand and reached for the red lever on the very front of the control panel. Her father had probably heard the pod's engine when she first turned it on. If she was going to do this she had to do it now. There really were no second chances.

She grabbed it tightly with both hands and pulled, taking all of her weight to shove it down. She paused… It was stuck. Her father could be here any minute.

"Vegeta!" Bulma fanatically called.

"What?!" he growled, climbing up the ladder to poke his head out of the floor. He was clearly still agitated over their previous disagreement. Bulma mentally rolled her eyes at how immature he could be at times.

"Can you pull this down? It won't budge when I put all my weight on it."

"First of all, woman, I could pull it down with my teeth if I wanted to. Second, you don't actually believe that your weight will move it, do you? You couldn't move a feather," he snorted and Bulma narrowed her eyes. Well, at least he didn't call her fat…

Vegeta walked over to the lever and instantly flicked it with the tip of his finger. The gadget swung down with such force that the entire ship shook a bit and then they both felt the vessel lift off the ground and rocket into the sky. Bulma guessed that they'd reach the atmosphere in less than a minute at the speed they were going.

"Careful!" Bulma screeched, causing Vegeta to put his hands over his ears for a split second because of the uncalled-for noise. "That's one thing you don't want to break. We could be stuck at one speed forever, with no hope of ever stopping until we ran out of fuel. And then we'd just die because the life support systems would fail. Please try and be careful in here, especially around the controls, okay?"

"Don't patronize me, woman," he snarled, heading for the ladder once again.

"How about you stop running away like a scaredy-cat and stay up here with me? Why do you keep running off like that?"

"Are you saying that I'm afraid?" he asked incredulously, staring at her intently with a malicious look in his onyx eyes, "Afraid of what, may I ask? You? And for what reason would I have to be afraid of someone like you?"

"I never said that," she replied innocently, cutting deeper into Vegeta's nerves. When the angry thoughts started parading around in his mind, he remembered the last time he had gotten too angry around the female and instantly cooled himself down a little.

"You're just annoying me," he stated flatly. "I want to be alone until we reach our first destination. Don't bother coming down to get me either, woman. I can feel when we are about to land. I need to train as soon as possible, so try and hurry these piece of junk along." And with that, he was off, climbing swiftly back down the ladder to the lower floor.

Bulma sighed. What was she going to do with him?

She grabbed the two levers on the right used for maneuvering and gently made the pod enter Earth's atmosphere. The ship rumbled a little at the pressure and the intense heat on the outside metal portion of the craft. A few minutes passed before they had cleared it and were finally out in space. She pictured her father now reaching the backyard in a rush and looking up to find his daughter gone. It was all too obvious that he didn't think very fondly of Vegeta, so his thoughts would be revolving around hurt that she had left without telling her him and her mother, confusion as to why she could have gone, and anger that she was flying off with the man he pretty much hated. Worry would start to come to him in a little while when he realized that they weren't coming back any time soon.

Bulma took a glance out the upper window to see the stars. There weren't many, but that didn't change the fact that they were still there. Bulma sighed again. It almost seemed like this vacation was going to be a bit boring. She reconsidered her decision not to bring a paper and pencil. She was beginning to think that she might actually need it. In fact, she was beginning to think that she might possibly die of boredom. Vegeta didn't want to be bothered, so what was she to do. The first thing that came to mind was obvious: bother Vegeta. It was simple and straight, and it would be more than entertaining. But then again, she didn't want to make him hate her for the entire trip. She wanted him to cool off so they could at least spend a little time together during their adventure. And that would mean that bothering him after he specifically told her to leave him the hell alone was not a good idea.

Another thing that crossed her mind was the actual reason they were leaving. She was thinking of this as a vacation, a trip that would be fun and pleasurable. But the reason they had to leave was for the people of Earth's safety. They were being hunted by the most deadly man in the universe, according to Vegeta. They were literally someone's prey out here. And while she was thinking about all the things she could do to entertain herself, there were people trying to kill both her and Vegeta out there. And when she thought about it, the orange-haired guy had said that they only wanted to kill Vegeta. If Vegeta was gone and out of the way, they would do much worse things to her than her imaginative mind could come up with. Thinking about it made chills run up and down her spine. She involuntarily shivered.

An hour passed by very slowly and then Bulma glanced at the monitor to find that they would arrive any second now.

"Entering Planet Aaraa's atmosphere," a lady's voice said. Bulma never knew why her father had been so picky about the computer's voice. It wasn't like it really mattered what a machine sounded like, as long as it gave you the correct information.

Bulma tugged on the levers for control, slowing down the pod. It rumbled a little as it entered the flaming atmosphere of Planet Aaraa. After careful inspection, she found that the levels of oxygen on the planet's surface were adequate for human survival. There were trees and lakes as well. Most of it was desert, but luckily, the pod was landing in the middle of a grassy field. The gravity was almost identical to Earth's. Maybe it was a little less, but Bulma never minded being lighter. The thermometer read almost fifty degrees Fahrenheit, according to the temperature that she used. In Celsius, the temperature looked to be about twenty, and in Kelvin, it was a little over three hundred. Overall, the planet was pretty much perfect for her. She wondered what the temperatures and pressure stats had been on Planet Vegeta. She wondered if Vegeta had to adjust to breathing in different airs for survival and withstand certain temperatures of different planets. Because Frieza was his guardian when he was younger, she doubted that Vegeta didn't have a hard time adjusting to anything. That thought brought an invisible tear to her eye.

Vegeta climbed up the ladder to the main floor and walked over to her as the Capsule Corporation space pod gently touched the planet's surface, landing with elegance that Bulma had programmed it for.

"What planet is this?" he asked, looking over the controls.

"Aaraa," Bulma replied calmly, secretly wanting to pounce on him for being so damn bipolar at the wrong moments.

"Good." He walked over to the middle console that controlled the gravity.

"Why is that good?" she asked his back.

"Because, woman, now you can leave so I can train." He punched in some numbers. Bulma guessed that while she was packing back on Earth, he could have experimented with some of the controls and figured out how to use the one part of the spacecraft that he actually needed.

"Just don't get far away, woman," he ordered and he sounded dead serious, more so than usual. Bulma wondered why, but was a bit ticked by his commanding tone.

"Let me know when you're _finished_ ," she snorted in an extremely unladylike way. Vegeta glanced at her discreetly when she used the unusual tone. Bulma punched the button for emphasis as the huge door opened and she stepped outside, watching Vegeta for as long as the door remained open. He didn't turn around to notice her.

Bulma looked up when a beep came from outside the pod. The light came on that indicated that the gravity had been altered inside the pod. Bulma recalled that the metal plating on the outside made it soundproof. Therefore, if she screamed for him, he wouldn't hear her… And if he needed help, she wouldn't know. If it had been any other situation, she wouldn't have worried, but the gravity inside the pod went up to one thousand times Earth's. If Vegeta programmed the gravity to the highest possible setting, and he wasn't able to withstand the pressure it put on his body, he could be either stuck on the ground until Bulma opened the entrance or, Bulma gulped, _compressed_...

Remembering that all of her things were inside the vessel, Bulma plopped down in the unnaturally plush grass _. If the grass back on Earth were like this, then more people would care about their lawns_ , Bulma thought, running her hands back and forth over one area on her left side. If felt like it had been manufactured in a shop. She wondered if the grass on her planet would have felt like this if there was no such thing as the human race. She didn't doubt it.

After a couple minutes of extreme boredom passed, Bulma stood, feeling a sudden desire to explore whatever else could be on this planet. If the grass was this soft, then what were the trees like? There was one in the distance, so she wouldn't have to walk far to find out. She just reminded herself of the soundproof paneling on the pod's outer walls. She wouldn't want to get into any trouble here, so she wouldn't get too far away from the pod and Vegeta. Plus, if she really needed something, she could just open the door and the gravity would instantly return to normal so she wouldn't be squashed by it. But then she would have to make sure that it was a decision of life or death, otherwise Vegeta would do the honors of killing her himself.

Bulma began the walk to the far off tree. It was relatively tall, with no branches except for three or four about a five or six feet off the ground. The rest of the brown bark reached up to the sky and drew itself into a point like it was trying to pierce the clouds. She made it to the tree and reached for the first bunch of leaves that caught her eye. She grabbed them into her fist and then screeched, feeling a sharp pain in the palm of her right hand. She drew back forcefully, some of the unnaturally bright green leaves sticking to her with small, unnoticeable thorns. Bulma pulled the leaves off of her hand, feeling each of the sharp thorns cut through her skin. Some even stayed inside. They seemed to be digging in deeper by the second.

The leaf was completely off of her and crumpling on the ground as if it was some sort of defensive reaction from being touched. Bulma felt like an idiot for touching something that she had no knowledge of whatsoever. It could have killed her for all she knew. She looked down at her hand. She was bleeding a bit where the thorns had struck her. She pulled out the three small thorns that had stayed under the skin on her palm, watching as more of her red blood slid out of the barely noticeable holes the thorns left behind. Bulma decided that adventuring on an unexplored planet wasn't such a good idea anymore. She turned around to head back to the pod, but froze at what she saw…

Or what she didn't see… The pod was no longer there.

She ran as fast as her legs would take her to the landing site, disbelieving what her eyes were showing her. It was impossible that the pod could have left the planet. If Vegeta had taken off without her, she would have heard the engine rumble. It wasn't possible that it had moved on its own. That would mean that something else moved it. Vegeta could have done it easily and in the amount of time that she had her back turned to the vessel without making a single noise. But why would he have done something like that. Sure, he had made it quite clear that she had annoyed him, but he wouldn't leave. Plus, if he really wanted to, he would have just taken off while she was by the tree. She wouldn't have been able to run all the way back here in time to stop him. And he could also just physically make it impossible for her to stop him. Inclusively, there were just so many realistic and obvious answers that combatted and disregarded the one she was thinking of. It was irrational for Vegeta to move the pod away from its previous location. It just wasn't something anyone with a brain would do. There were much easier and simpler ways to accomplish the same goal.

Bulma looked around. The pod was nowhere in sight. The wide open field couldn't have hid something so big and obvious. The only other places it could have gone were underground and up in the air. Bulma glanced downward to find that none of the soil or grass was fake, for a trap door's use, and nothing had been moved around to show a button or something that could have flipped the ground, as silly as the idea sounded to her. She then glanced up to find something she never wanted, nor expected to see. Up in the sky, past the clouds, almost to the heat of the atmosphere, was the Capsule Corporation's spacecraft.

Bulma was speechless. Vegeta was leaving her here without any food or water? He was really leaving her all alone? Didn't he know that she would die if he didn't come back? The only thought that crossed her mind was that he had to be practicing so that he wouldn't have to rely on her to control everything in the pod. He was going to come back for her. Bulma knew Vegeta. He wouldn't leave her here. After he hurt her those painful couple days ago, he had changed. He said he'd always be there for her. That meant that he really _would_ be there for her. That meant he could never just leave her on this planet without a second thought. He was her guardian angel. It was impossible for her to get hurt while he was around. He cared about her… didn't he?

Why was he fucking leaving her?! Bulma's emotions soon turned to anger. How dare he just leave her behind like this! It was outright rude and absolutely vulgar. He must have smoked something while he was in there if he thought he was going to get away with something like this. Her father would build another pod and send men after him. If that didn't work, they would enlist the help of another planet's stronger inhabitants and send an entire army after that bastard! Her parents wouldn't rest until they had his beautiful head presented to them on a silver platter!

And after what he did to her, too! After hurting her and physically injuring her after proclaiming that he was so damn protective of her! That fucking bastard had the nerve to leave her on some isolated planet out in the middle of nowhere where she would most likely live for a week and then die. He had more than nerve. He had a mental problem. He was so arrogant and full of himself that he let his overinflated pride get in the way of his judgment. He was going to be hunted not only by Frieza, but by all the men her parents would send after him.

Bulma's emotion continued along their roller coaster ride and she fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands. Her tears flowed freely and hit the dry ground, probably water the unnaturally soft grass below her.

She loved Vegeta. How could he do something like this to her? How could he even think about it, let alone carry the thought out. She hoped that he would come back, but she knew that hope was a fool's refuge from the truth, from reality, from herself, from her fate. It was wrong to sit there and bawl her eyes out over the matter instead of doing something about. She decided that, eventually, she would stop crying. Then she would do something about it. But what exactly was there to do? She no longer had the space pod. She couldn't get off the planet's surface, let alone travel back to Earth without a method of transportation. So, she wiped the tears off her eyes, thinking about whatever else there was to do. She felt more rivers involuntarily running down her face, but she didn't wipe them away that time. She could try to live here until someone came to rescue her. Until someone came across Planet Aaraa, landed in the exact place she had landed the Capsule Corporation space pod and looked around in the exact place where she would be whenever they came… If they came at all. Her hopes began to fade, no matter how much she wanted them to stay and comfort her fears.

The only thing she could think of was why he would have left her here. Was she really that annoying to him? Had she done something wrong? What was so wrong with her that he wanted her to die alone and afraid? Was it that she wasn't perfect enough for him? Did he have a girlfriend back at home? Was he just some man-whore would messed with every vulnerable girl that crossed his path? Was that why he left her here in the first place? Because she was vulnerable? Did he not like to have to watch her back for her all the time? Was she a burden on him? Was it that he was sick and tired of having to deal with her weaknesses all the time? Compared to the men Frieza was apparently sending after the two of them, Vegeta was the only one who stood a chance. She really was just a burden on him. How could he care about someone like her? All she was to him was an unwanted liability. She was nothing more than that to someone as powerful and important as him. She was just some weak Earthling that would one day control a company on her unimportant planet… Well, not anymore. She was never going to get the chance.

"Bulma! Bulma, where are you?!" a voice called from the distance in front of her. Bulma started and looked up to find someone running towards her. It looked like a man. And behind him was a pod that had apparently just landed. She guessed that she hadn't seen or heard it because of her useless sulking. She felt so worthless and stupid. She should have noticed a pod landing on the planet. It could have been Frieza, or one of his henchmen for all she knew. Even if it had just been a low-class soldier sent as a scout, he or she could have definitely outclassed her any day.

"Bulma! Over here!" Bulma squinted her eyes, and then opened them wide, seeing who it was that was approaching her in such a dramatically fast way.

"D… Dad…?" she whined, feeling more tears uncontrollably cascade down the sides of her face. She wailed at the sight before her. "Daddy!" she called, running to him as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Bulma! I thought I'd lost you," her father said, exasperated by the long run that it took for them to meet up with one another. His expression soon turned cold. "Why would you leave with that man? I thought I told you that I didn't like him. He wasn't good for you, and I'm sure that you know why I said that now. I'm sorry you had to go through something like that to get the point across. I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner. If I had met up with that boy… Let's just say that he wouldn't be bothering you anymore." He looked her up and down, and then hugged her again, just tighter. "I'm so glad you're safe, Bulma," he whispered.

"I didn't know what I was going to do, Dad. I thought I was going to be stuck here forever," she said, not caring about the excess tears that were again falling out of her puffy red eyes. "You have no idea how glad I was when I first saw you over the hill. It felt like I was never going to see you again, and then there you were, coming to my rescue." She managed a small laugh.

"You know I'd never leave you, especially with a man I didn't trust."

"How did you make another pod so quickly?" she asked, still not believing that it really happened. He was really here… But a part of her had hoped it would have been Vegeta racing to her rescue. Where would he even go? Where was he now? And what could he possibly be thinking…?

"I always had it. I just never told you because it was for emergencies… Like this one," he smirked, as they parted. His hands were still on her shoulders as he smiled at her.

"Oh, Dad," Bulma sighed, shaking her head like she should have known.

And then, she saw him.

Behind her father, about a quarter of a mile, flying towards the two of them at high speed. He wore a pink mechanism on the left side of his face, covering his eye. His orange hair was mostly gone, but she could still tell that it was him. That big oaf that had ruthlessly killed Yamcha, and almost killed her. She felt her knees tremble as she looked at her father. He turned his head in confusion at her expression.

Bulma wondered if she should even tell her father about the oncoming threat. It would probably spare him the distress before the end. The orange-haired man would, most likely, kill him before he even knew what was happening. She already knew what he wanted _her_ for. She was surprised that her legs hadn't given in yet. It didn't even matter. She was going to have to watch her father die. Just like she had to watch Yamcha die… More tears ran down her cheeks, but they were no longer out of happiness. They came as a result of pure terror and panic. She couldn't do anything about it…

Where was Vegeta? Why did he leave? Why did he have to go? Why… Why her? Why her father? Out of all the people on the world, why was it her father who had to die because of her? Why couldn't it have been someone else…? Anyone else… _Please_ … _Vegeta_ …


	20. Come Back to Me

**Chapter Twenty: Come Back to Me**

 _ **Last time… On**_ _ **Dragon Ball Z!**_ _(Lol):_

"Oh, Dad," Bulma sighed.

And then, she saw him.

Behind her father, about a quarter of a mile, flying towards the two of them at high speed. He wore a pink mechanism on the left side of his face, covering his eye. His orange hair was mostly gone, but she could still tell that it was him. That big oaf that had ruthlessly killed Yamcha, and almost killed her. She felt her knees tremble as she looked at her father. He turned his head in confusion at her expression.

Bulma wondered if she should even tell her father about the oncoming threat. It would probably spare him the distress before the end. The orange-haired man would, most likely, kill him before he even knew what was happening. She already knew what he wanted _her_ for. She was surprised that her legs hadn't given in yet. It didn't even matter. She was going to have to watch her father die. Just like she had to watch Yamcha die… More tears ran down her cheeks, but they were no longer out of happiness. They came as a result of pure terror and panic. She couldn't do anything about it…

Where was Vegeta? Why did he leave? Why did he have to go? Why… Why her? Why her father? Out of all the people on the world, why was it her father who had to die because of her? Why couldn't it have been someone else…? Anyone else… _Please_ … _Vegeta_ …

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Bulma s tightly shut her eyes and then reopened them, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But when she looked over her father's shoulder, closing in on the two of them, she knew that she wasn't seeing things. All she wanted was for this to be a horrible dream. All she wanted was to wake up and not remember anything. Or remember every detail, it didn't really matter. Just as long as she didn't have to live through it… But it looked like she wasn't even going to live through it anyway. She would be alive long enough to watch the orange-haired oaf rip her father apart and then watch as he violated her like no other. Then she would be taken back to Frieza and violated once again. And then she would be killed. Whether or not it would be long and painful or short and painless was unknown to her, but she feared it anyway. Either way, her life would be over after they had their fill of her. She felt like the amount of tears that had trailed down her face could have created a small lake by now.

"Bulma?" her father asked, touching the side of her face in a failing attempt to comfort her. He didn't know, so it was okay. He didn't know that the man who would end his life was directly behind him. And he didn't need to know. Bulma didn't want him to know. It was better this way.

She just nodded in response, and her father still didn't notice the threat. Part of her wanted to scream at him for being so oblivious, but it wasn't enough for her to actually do so. She was going to watch him die because she knew that running was fruitless. It would accomplish absolutely nothing for either of them. They would have a typical adrenaline rush, manage to evade the orange-haired man for a few tiny moments, and then they would be caught by him anyway. There was no escape. There were no people around to help them, rescue them. She wished her father hadn't kept that other pod a secret from her. She could have damaged it enough so that he wouldn't have been here right now. He wouldn't have to die. He would be back on Earth, cursing to himself as he tried to re-attach the main wires she would have snipped. Then he would have gotten inside and started the engine, only to find that more wires had been disconnected underneath the primary control panel.

As the orange-haired man finally came within a few arms' length of her father's back, Bulma closed her eyes. She didn't have to see this. She didn't have to watch. Her father would understand. He would forgive her…

She heard an unidentifiable sound and then a loud crack, like a stone wall being bombed… Or bones snapping. She just couldn't stand it anymore. Outside of her eyes was her father, a man she loved more than life itself, and she was hiding behind her own skin. She had to look. She didn't want to see it happen, but at the same time, she knew that it was inevitable. She reluctantly opened her eyes, letting more tears escape from her.

She screamed at what she saw.

Her father's crumped body lie on the ground at her feet… covered in blood. His stomach had been cut through by the orange-haired man's hand. She watched in terror as he removed his red-stained glove from his right hand. Her chest was heaving with the effort to breathe. She felt like her insides would collapse… Just like her father's did…

She couldn't help but stare at the motionless body of her father. In fact, she couldn't even tell if it was him or not. She couldn't tell if she was crying anymore either. Her whole body felt numb. She dropped to her knees on the ground. The grass didn't feel so soft anymore. She looked down, unblinking, to find that her hands were over a puddle of blood that was still spilling from her father. The ground was wet with it and the grass seemed to be enjoying the different flavor they were being fed. It was certainly something different than water. That was for sure.

Bulma glanced up at the now smiling man above her. Most of his teeth were missing. Bulma guessed that it had been a result of his fight with Vegeta back on Earth…

Vegeta…

Where was he…? Once again, Bulma thought of the possible reasons for his sudden departure. Couldn't he sense when someone was approaching…? So that meant that he knew the orange-haired man was on his way. It also meant that he had known that her father was coming as well. So that was it. He wanted her to die alongside her father, just not on this planet. He wanted Frieza to have his way with her and then torture her until her last breathe. By the descriptions Vegeta had given her of the tyrant, Bulma didn't doubt that he was skilled in the art of torture. He would know how to keep her alive the longest. She guessed that she could always go find this man and piss him off. It seemed like he enjoyed giving swift deaths to his victims. That might come in handy.

She hated that man. She wanted him to die a pathetic death at the hands of something trivial, like poison or a simple cut that he could close before he bled to death. She wanted him to meet up with and have to fight Frieza and learn that he wasn't the strongest person in the universe. She wanted him to drown in his own arrogance and pride. She wanted him to feel worthless before the very end. She didn't want him to regret leaving her. Only to know that his pathetic Saiyan race was weak, and that is why they were obliterated, and that he is no different. He is just as weak as his pathetic and extinct race. Maybe weaker and even more pathetic. She wanted him to face the reality that all his training would only lead to his own demise because he was prideful and overconfident in his own abilities. She wanted his life to soon be over.

 _Woman._

She looked over again at the body of her father, the shock not allowing her to fully comprehend what had just occurred. He was covered in blood and viscera. It looked like his intestines had spilled over onto the ground, revealing the pure white of his ribs underneath the skin and torn cloth of his black shirt. One of them was broken and sticking out above the gaping hole. It was pointed through his heart and went through the skin so Bulma could see the tip of the white through the blur of red. She could feel her nausea surfacing. She felt it come up through her throat and spill over onto the soft, red grass. Some even went onto her father. As she continued to look over his mangled body, more came up her throat, shooting out of her mouth onto the orange-haired man's white shoes. In response, he kicked her in the jaw, making her head spin.

Her vision went blurry. She could no longer see her father. Part of her silently thanked the man for allowing her to look away, and another part of her was furious with him. She wanted to see her father, no matter what he looked like. He was her father after all, and nothing could ever change something like that. He was important to her, and he always would be. Nothing could ever separate them the way the orange-haired oaf believed he just had. She smiled at her little triumph.

He lifted her off the ground and she squirmed, desperately trying to get away from her captor.

"Will you stop squirming!" he yelled at her. Bulma wondered why he was being so gentle with her. She could have sworn that he would be a hell of a lot more uncaring towards her. Instead, he held her gently, as if her were afraid to harm her. She guessed that it was because, after he probably returned to Frieza, he had been instructed not to harm her. She knew that any henchman of Frieza's would take his threats very seriously. Especially because they were probably threats on their lives. Her thoughts were redirected to different ways that Frieza could probably torture someone… How he would torture her after she was delivered to him. She began to violently shake and pounded against the orange-haired man, once again trying to escape from his grasp. "Woman! Will you hold _still_?!"

Woman? Only one person called her that… Then why was this man calling her by the name? She looked up at him to make sure it was who she thought it was. His bit of orange hair and missing teeth as he smiled evilly at her confirmed it. He was probably just trying to confuse her by calling her that because he had heard Vegeta call her by that title back in the hotel room where he had fought him. But yet, she held still for some unfathomable reason.

She felt a sharp pain in her right hand. She lifted it so she could see what was wrong. She noticed the familiar holes that the thorns on the previous sharp leaf had caused. She saw that the blood that had been there was now dry and stuck to her skin. Her hand was swollen as well. The orange-haired man grabbed her wrist with one hand and held a knife in the other. Bulma screeched and tried to get away again rocking back and forth in the big man's arms. Actually, now that she thought about it, he looked a lot bigger the last time she saw him…

"I thought I told you to stop squirming! Pull yourself together, woman!" She didn't want to hear any of his lies. She just wanted to get away and see her father once more before she died. That was all she wanted. He could take her wherever he wanted to after that. She just wanted to see her father again. Well, the body of her father. It didn't feel right to call the bloody mess her father, now that she thought about it.

Bulma screamed as the man ran a blade right into her swollen hand she watched in fright as blood and puss poured over the ground. She turned her head in an attempt to see her father, hoping that he was still alive, and yet knowing that it was impossible.

But then, she found nothing there. Her father was gone. Not even an ounce of his blood was left on the unnaturally soft grass for evidence of his horrible murder. She looked back up at the orange-haired man, preparing herself to demand an explanation as best she could at this point, only to find that it was no longer the same man as before. Instead of the bit of orange hair on his head, he now had spiky black hair. It looked oddly familiar. And instead of that big, abnormal body, it was now flawlessly shaped and faultlessly muscular. That, too, looked familiar in an odd sort of way. She glanced back at the ground where her father had been. Her puke was still there… but her father and all the blood was gone. She strained her neck to turn and look at the bloody mess over her cut hand. White puss was still pouring out of the gash. The man who no longer had orange hair was holding her wrist firmly so that she couldn't pull away from him. Something about his touch was familiar, as well…

"Don't fight me, woman," he said calmly, and Bulma was compelled to do as he asked of her because of some unidentifiable motivation. He just seemed like the type of person she should listen to. That was all. It just came to her like an instinct she was born with. Something about his voice just made her memory feel cloudier than usual.

"What did you do with my father?" she asked wearily, her eyes rolling back in her head.

"What? Your father? Woman, stop babbling. There's no one here but me." The man paused, "Now don't do that. Keep your eyes open."

"Where's my Daddy?" she asked, trying to sound angry and yet she was fading.

"Your father is back on your pathetic planet." Bulma's eyes slowly began to close. "Woman! Stay with me!" the man yelled at her. Bulma thought her eardrums might explode from the impact with his booming voice. "You were poisoned. You need to calm down while I get it out of you. If you panic now, more blood than poison will come out of the wound. And that's not something you want to happen, woman. Trust me."

Bulma struggled to keep her eyes open. She knew that voice. It was Vegeta's, wasn't it? What was he doing here? He had left her all alone. He had taken the pod and left the planet because he didn't want to deal with her anymore. Because he had wanted her to die. Then why was he here now? And where was her father? She had to know if he was going to survive. And if anyone could help him, Vegeta was their best shot.

She reached up and hung her arms on his shoulders, gripping his shirt gently to keep her hands up there.

"Please… You have to help my dad. He's hurt… He'll die if you don't…"

"Your father isn't here, woman. For the last time, he's back on Earth with everyone else that can't follow us. You touched a plant that stuck you with its thorns. Those thorns had poisoned tips. It's causing you to hallucinate. You need to be able to tell the difference between reality and what's in your head. Your father being injured or whatever was just in your head. The only thing that's real here is _me_ , woman. Now don't make me prove it to you." When the female didn't blush, he knew that she wasn't really hearing what he was telling her. He sighed and lifted her into his arms, heading back to the pod.

When he had sensed her distress from outside the vessel, he had immediately cut the gravity machine and exited onto the planet's unnaturally bright surface. When he had made it out of the pod and onto the pure green grass, he saw her, a few hundred feet away, throwing up all over the ground. When he flew over to her as fast as he could, he sensed the poison in her hand right away and picked her up to deal with the problem, only to find that she believed he was someone else. Someone who wanted to hurt her and her imaginary father. That was when he realized that the poison was causing her to hallucinate. He hadn't wanted to find out what would happen when the poison spread throughout the rest of her body, so he had cut open her swollen right hand straightaway.

"Let me go!" Bulma screamed. She had to find her father before all hope of saving him was lost. She had to know if he was alright. That was all she wanted. The man holding her didn't even flinch when she struggled. He had an unnatural strength about him that prevented him from being moved by her twists and squirms.

"Cut it out," he said in a bored tone, swinging her up over his right shoulder so he would have a better grip around her waist as he walked back over to the space pod. "You better hope there's a medical kit in that damn piece of junk or I'll be healing you my own way," he warned. Bulma still wasn't coherent enough to understand what he was saying, so he concluded that he would just have to have some fun while she wasn't really listening.

Bulma stopped her squirming for a long moment. It was enough for Vegeta to reach the pod and enter it. He closed the door and set her down, feeling as if he were training a wild animal that wasn't allowed to escape its cage. He chuckled at the thought. He certainly wouldn't mind. It would be just like a game. A very enjoyable game. _If only the female was coherent_ , he thought to himself, smirking as he came up with the imaginary rules in his mind.

He let her crawl around on the floor like some invalid for only a moment before picking her up again to bring her down to the bottom floor. There was a bed down there that, originally, he didn't plan on using for this purpose. He motionlessly shrugged and climbed down the ladder, holding tightly onto the female in his arms.

"V… Vegeta…?" he heard the aqua-haired female whimper. At least she knew who he was. It was a nice and reassuring step forward for her condition.

"Awake yet?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't understand a single word of anything he had decided to say in that moment.

"W… What happened to my father? Whe… Where is he?"

Vegeta could tell that she was about to pass out from the extreme loss of blood from the gash he made on her hand before to release as much of the poison as possible. At least she wasn't going to die. He immaturely deliberated whether or not to tell the female that her father had been brutally murdered, but, of course, decided against it. The thought had only been for his own personal amusement anyway.

"Being the idiot you are, you went off and got some poison running through your veins. You started to hallucinate and I had to come get you when I felt your adrenaline spike. Your father isn't here, woman. He never was." He looked down at her as he placed her down on the mattress. After looking at her now passed out form, lying there so peacefully, he considered lying down next to her for a little while. He didn't.

Vegeta made his way to the refrigerator and treated himself to a little feast before heading back up the ladder. He guessed that the gravity would affect the lower floor as well as the main one, so he didn't chance crushing the female in his attempt to train again. Besides, he should have known better than to think that he would be able to get anything productive done while travelling with the female. Instead, he looked over the control panels, trying to figure out how to pilot it. He wasn't going to test anything because if he screwed up, the female wouldn't be able to fix whatever he did wrong. Plus, he wasn't a fool. He knew how to keep himself out of trouble. He also knew how most space pods were constructed and how to pilot them. Back at Frieza's space station, he knew how to work every vessel in the entire complex, and even the ones that hadn't been there. He had been specially trained by the people who had designed them because of Frieza's orders.

Since Recoome had come to Earth, Vegeta had learned a few interesting things. For one, he learned that Frieza knew about his plot to kill him ever since he murdered his father. He didn't really care about that, though. Knowing about it wasn't going to save that lizard. Another thing he knew about now was that the lizard didn't have a primary target. He wanted both him and the female. The only difference was that Frieza wanted him dead, and his woman alive. He could feel his blood start to boil at the image he accidentally got stuck in his head. And he had already been having a bad day.

After memorizing where all the controls were, he decided to head back down the ladder. He didn't know what a lot of the buttons and control sticks did, and he wasn't about to try and get the answers from the female at this point. She would probably just ask him where her imaginary father was again if he woke her up.

Vegeta sighed. There really was nothing to do without the female. He cursed himself for saying such a thing, but he had to admit it sooner or later. He was downright bored.

He climbed to the bottom floor and looked over the form on the only mattress in the damn pod. Her hand had stopped squirting out white puss, so that was a good sign. He figured he could wrap it up now, safely knowing that the poison was out of her. He took a quick glance around, seeing if he could find a first-aid kit or something medical to wrap her wound with. He wouldn't want to use his shirt because it had too much sweat on it. It would definitely burn and sting like hell if he put it on such an exposed wound, especially since it barely had enough time to just dry the blood. He found a wrapping of medical tape at the bottom of the closet that held the clothes, but there weren't any gauze pads, or anything other than the medical tape for that matter.

Vegeta took one of the familiar blue spandex suits of one of the hanger in the closet and ripped it into strips. He took one of them and wrapped it around the aqua-haired female's incision. She instinctively flinched at the pain, but her eyes never opened or seemed like they were going to any time soon. He made sure the makeshift wrapping wasn't too tight that no blood would flood to her hand at all, and then applied the medical tape, holding it firmly so it wouldn't come off if she moved around in her sleep.

He let out a lion's yawn and stretched his tired muscles. If there wasn't anything to do, there was nothing like sleep to fill up the unwanted extra time. He found himself a pile of folded and freshly washed pants and slid them across the room as he placed them on the opposite side from the female. The last thing he wanted was to be rolled on top of. He then laid down against the wall, the pile of pants behind his head and closed his eyes, awaiting for sleep to come and time to dissolve.


	21. Discretion

**Chapter Twenty-One: Discretion**

Vegeta panted in the heat of the night. Bulma was moaning as he worked his magic over her faultless form. He loved the feeling of her bare flesh against his skin. She was so soft and delicate that it made him ache with desire.

He could tell when it came to her from the stunning, rigid shivers emanating from her body. A sharp moan shook her shoulders as she cried out his name. She called out orders and he carried them out perfectly and effortlessly. Her legs stiffened to stone as she screamed. Her toes clawed at his legs as her hands clawed at his back. She slammed herself against him in her attempt at beating him in the battle. He took in each of her convulsions as she forced herself to fight back. But this was his domain. Here he had something that no one could beat him in. He was simply the best at what he did with his mates, whether they had a bed as a battlefield, or just the cold hard floor. There was no other explanation. Still, he liked the fact that she wasn't a sore loser at their fun little game. It made the experience that much more pleasant and intriguing for him.

"Try again tomorrow, woman," he whispered seductively in her ear, thrusting violently to make her go rigid. She, along with every other female he had ever been with, would never be able to move when he was at the finality of each battle. It was near to impossible. She screamed louder than ever before at her failing attempt to fight back. She was doing a pretty damn good job though, even if he'd never tell her. Or even admit it to himself that he was impressed. He was having trouble putting a perpetual stop to her movements. He continued ever harder and faster, knowing that he could very well lose the rematch according to his standards for a battle such as this one, and taking into consideration that the aqua-haired female was an Earthling, and she physically weaker than him. He knew one thing was for sure. He would _not_ lose.

"Vegeta!" the female screamed, a tear running down her face. Vegeta smirked at his accomplishment. The female was no longer moving. He had won. But just in case she didn't get the message that he was undefeatable, he went at her harder and faster, bringing some of his reserved energy forward. "Oh, Vegeta!" she cried, her body squirming under him once more. He couldn't believe that she was actually able to handle such force. Then he smelled something familiar as the female screamed his name again. "Please!" she yelled to him, and Vegeta thought that the amount of tears coming out of her was unnatural for such an occasion. "Please, Vegeta!" she cried, and he slowed. Something was very wrong. "Sto-op!" she screamed at him, pounding her tiny fists against his chest. "You're hurting me!"

Instantly, he was off of her, his back against the far wall as he stood, looking her over. Nothing looked to be wrong. He didn't see any blood… Blood? That was the familiar smell he had noticed before. Then where was it? He slowly walked over to the crying and shrieking female on the bed before him, his hands in the air so as not to frighten her by his approach. Her tears flowed endlessly. And then he saw it. A small puddle of red liquid was forming below the part below her hips. He instinctively shoved his hands between her legs, trying to stop the blood from flowing. The female convulsed against his painful touch. Vegeta's breathing quickened as the blood ran between his fingers, enlarging the puddle. He watched as the female's tears stopped flowing and her face went pale.

"No!" he yelled to her, reaching for his ripped shirt on the floor. He rolled it into a tight ball and shoved it against her, letting some of it go inside her. He watched helplessly as she coughed up blood as well, choking on some of it. He reached to tilt her head so she could spit it all out, but her face was almost white by now. He felt his hand become soaked and realized that the blood had soaked through his shirt and was now dripping out like before. "Stop!" he commanded, not sure if he was talking to the female or the blood. He could feel her energy becoming fainter and fainter until he couldn't sense it anymore. His body went limp as the blood continued to pour out of her lifeless body. He shoved his hands against her chest, urging for her to come back to him. She wouldn't do it. She wouldn't come back. She had lost too much blood. And it was his fault. He had sworn not to hurt her anymore, and he… k… kill… killed her… "…Bulma!"

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"Ve _ge_ ta!" Bulma cried, "Vegeta, wake _up_!" She prodded at his shoulders as he yelled something unintelligible in his sleep. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. "WAKE UP!" she yelled standing up and kicking his leg as hard as she could.

"No!" he yelled, jumping up so much that he was left standing. Bulma saw a tear run down the side of his face as he looked at her in wonder and confusion. "You!" he yelled at her in furious anger after gaining his composure. Bulma flinched and squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he made a move to smack her with the back of his hand. In the next moment, his arms were wrapped around waist and she was frozen with shock. _What the fucking hell had he been dreaming about?_ she thought, tapping his back with the palm of her hand in response to the strange and unprovoked embrace.

"Are you… okay?" she questioned to ask, and he shoved her away forcefully, as if she had just insulted him in the worst way possible… Or as if he had regretted hugging her in the first place.

Excessive amounts of confusion were radiating from the female and Vegeta turned to walk away. Confusion from the aqua-haired female meant questions, and he wasn't answering them if it killed him. Besides, she had already asked him if he was okay. The enquiries would just end up getting worse and worse.

"Where are you going?" she asked as he made his way to the ladder. "Vegeta, tell me what happened." Oh, now she skipped the questions and just ordered him around. Who did she think she was anyway? He huffed and climbed up the ladder. If there was ever a time to learn how to control this space pod, it now was. He didn't want the female in charge of where they were going if she was going to have so many questions on her mind. She could use their destination as blackmail or something. And he'd be damned to hell and fucked by a scrawny housemaid before he let that happen.

As he made it to the main floor of the ship, he heard the female behind him. He felt her hand on his arm and he spun around to face her. "What do you want—"

The female locked their lips together. Vegeta relaxed for a second as he let his tongue swipe over her juicy bottom lip, and then went harsh again, shoving her away. "Stay away from me, woman!" he yelled, and Bulma thought she heard a bit of a plea in his voice. What was wrong with him?

"Vegeta…" she implored, touching his arm again. He turned away from her. Bulma let a solitary tear trail down her face. "Tell me what's wrong!"

He turned back to her with a firm scowl on his face. "Nothing," he stated. He turned back to the control panel, punching in the coordinates to their next destination.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked and Vegeta could tell that she was upset. Well, at least she wasn't dead.

"That's for me to know, and then decide if you should find out," he scowled, feeling the emotion of defenselessness radiating from the aqua-haired female. She was so pitiful at that moment that he wanted so badly to tell her everything was fine with him so she would stop being so obviously pathetic... But, he didn't. He didn't even turn around to look at her. He didn't want to see the look on her face that he knew would be there. He didn't want to lose the image of her pale white face that was plastered to the front of his memories. He clearly remembered the look on her face as he felt her die. As he watched himself murder her.

Vegeta couldn't remember the last time he had a dream. He only remembered one from when he was a young boy. He had a dream that his father died and he was left to guard his planet without any guidance while the inhabitants wouldn't obey him because he was too weak to control them. When he had woken up, he had told his father, and no one else. King Vegeta had then instructed him on how to prepare for such an occasion as the one is his dream, training him extra hard so as to make sure he was the best. Afterwards, his father told him that he wouldn't leave so soon because he was the most powerful Saiyan in the universe, and that Vegeta had nothing to worry about for a while.

Vegeta wasn't one to get all sentimental. In fact, he really didn't care all too much about his father's death right now or any stupid promises he had made to his son before he was brutally murdered. He couldn't care any less than he already did, actually. The memory of his dream had just come to mind because that was the only one he distinctly remembered having. And even if he had some that he didn't remember, it didn't matter to him. The fact that he had had another one now was what bothered him. And the topic was what made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Not that he believed dreams came true or any shit like that. It was just how it made him react before when the female had caught him off guard like that. He had pushed her away. And for what reason, he couldn't identify. The only explanation was that it was the dream's goddamn fault. Why was his mind playing such annoying games with him? Sometimes he wondered…

"Is there anything I can do?" he heard her squeak from behind him. He wondered if she was about to cry by the sound in her voice. Why would she do that? It wasn't like he was dying or something. He was fine.

"You can stop bothering me," he stated, pushing the lever after he had set the coordinates for a safer planet than the one they were currently on. If he was going to train without any interruptions, he was going to have to find a planet that he would feel comfortable leaving the female on by herself. Maybe he could isolate her to one area. He knew she wouldn't like it, but he could make her wear a rope and tie it to a tree, or something like that. He shook the thought away, knowing that they would spend more time arguing about it if he tried to do it than it was actually possible for him to train in the space pod without collapsing from exhaustion.

"I just want to help," she echoed in the same crackly voice, and Vegeta knew very well that when the female set her mind to something, she wouldn't let up for too long. He knew that she was going to stand behind him until he told her what was wrong. He decided, instead, to take a different approach to the situation at hand.

"You want to help me?" he asked in a bored tone, and the female solemnly nodded at the back of his head. There was no need for him to turn around and erase the image of her pale white face as she bled to death, because he could sense the movement of her nod from behind him. "Then you can do that by leaving me alone," he tried not to sound too demanding of her so she wouldn't try to argue with him, "I just need to think, woman. That's all I want. To be left alone." The ship rumbled as they entered the atmosphere of Planet Aaraa. He felt eager to finally be leaving. Overall, this was the plant sent from Hell if he'd ever seen it. After not-so-close inspection, he found that most of the plants held the same poison that had infected the female. He had also sensed plenty of dead bodies across the surface. It was no wonder the foliage was so soft, green and fresh. Nothing was better for those plants than living creatures. It was like they all worked together to poison any people who came to their plant-haven planet so that they could all agree to eat them when their prey finally perished. It was like all the plants worked together as one colossal predator. The aqua-haired female would have been dead in a few hours if he hadn't caught her feelings of fright and distress when he did. That thought brought his dream back to the front of his mind.

What if he really did hurt her? And he wasn't just thinking about while mating with her. He was primarily thinking of hurting her by accident while they traveled from planet to planet. He was powerful in ways unimaginable. If he whipped around to fast and didn't notice her behind him, he could send her flying across the pod, snapping her spine against the far wall. There were so many ways in which his strength could accidentally, but easily, harm her. He dismissed the example he had thought up for himself. He paid way too much attention to her because she was his woman. He knew where she was at all times that it sometimes scared him. He always kept a reserved sense for her in case he needed to know where she was or if she was feeling any fear or unjust anger that might signify that she was in trouble. He was always aware of her, so not knowing if she was behind him wasn't really an option.

And thinking about that made him realize that she was still behind him, not moving as he had, _politely even_ , asked her to do before.

"Vegeta, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" she asked softly, obviously trying not to dance on his easily disturbed nerves.

"Because I choose not to, woman. What other reason do you think I'd have?" he retorted, a bit fed up with her persistence in the matter. "Am I allowed to decide that much or have you finally declared yourself the goddess of what I should and shouldn't tell you?"

"I never said that. It's just that I want to help and I know you're stubborn, so I'm giving you the opportunity to change your mind," she said, making Vegeta roll his eyes sarcastically.

"Do you really think I look like I'm in any mood for your stupidity, woman? If I don't want to tell you, bothering me isn't going to change that. It's just going to annoy me."

"I'm not trying to change your mind for you, Vegeta. I said I was waiting to see if you'd change it on your own. And I'm not _bothering_ you." Vegeta's blood began to boil with the tone she was using. She was patronizing him as if he were some helpless child! As if he couldn't handle a nasty nightmare all by his lonesome. Well, he had a thing or two to say about _that_.

"Why do you insist on having me get angry with you? Wasn't the last time enough proof for you that it isn't smart?"

"Are you talking about when you hurt me?" she asked boldly. "Because, if it was, I believe you just threatened me, Vegeta. Is that what you want? To hurt me again? If it'll make you feel any better, then go ahead. At this point, I really don't care."

Holy _shit_ , was she asking for it. Why would she bring that up if it wasn't to start trouble? There was no other reason to do so other than to cause anger and uneasiness between them. Or was this just another one of her ways of "helping him"?

"What do you want, woman?!" he bellowed, spinning around to face her. The thought of slamming her against the wall was beginning to sound pretty satisfying in his point of view.

"That's the first time you've looked at me since we came up here," she said flatly.

"Thank you, Queen of the Obvious! Anything else you'd like to add before I really start to get pissed off?"

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want me to answer that?"

"Maybe it would do you some good to be reminded of who you _think_ you are versus who you _really_ are."

"Don't play games with me, woman! If you have something to get of your puny mind then spit it out!"

"I think you should at least try to think about who you think you are, because (and I mean no offense by this) I don't think you really know anymore. After you hurt me, you haven't acted the same. I think you need to figure out what went wrong?"

"Why is it always "you think"? I know why. Because you have no fucking clue what you're talking about! What? Do you think you're a shrink or something, because that's what you're acting like. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so _skilled_ at fixing other people's problems for them! Especially _mine_! You seem to be an _expert_ on that! Well, Miss whoever-you-think-you-are, how about you tell me how to fix our foremost problem of Frieza, huh?! Maybe you'd like to go kill him so he'll stop chasing us and sending other people to kill us? That would fix a huge problem. But, oh, that's right! You're just an Earthling. You wouldn't stand a chance against someone like that slimy bastard. I know. How about you fix the second problem? That would be you staying out of trouble. Seeing as you almost died a couple hours ago, obviously you can't even fix your _own_ fucking problems! I have to fix them for you! What a fucking _coincidence_!"

"I'm just trying to help," she squeaked, and Vegeta caught her holding in a tear. Once again, it was better than dying.

"Well, stop. Because every time you try to help, you end up causing more problems for both of us. But more so for me if I may complain for once."

" _For_ _once_?" Bulma guffawed, "You've got to be kidding me! You're the best complainer I've ever met! Give yourself a round of applause. You've actually accomplished something today. Well, you did. Up until the complaining part. I knew you couldn't go a day without doing it, so I'm sorry if I didn't find it surprising enough for you to hear a complaint come out of your precious mouth just now. And whether it's about Frieza or me, it's always the same anyway. So, sorry in advance if I take a nap while you're doing that. Don't mind me!"

"I'd try not to, but hearing you shut up for once would be an accomplishment as well. But I know that will never happen!"

"You're _obviously_ the one who needs to shut up, Vegeta! I told you already that I'm just trying to help out because I saw you were having a bad dream, okay? Can you live with that, or did you forget about it already?"

"I remember my dream quite clearly, actually," he said stubbornly, "And it's clearer than I'd like it to be. How could I forget about something if it won't go away? You and my previous dream seem to have a few similar and annoying qualities. Maybe you should get to know each other sometime. You could both talk about how fun it is to piss me off together. At least then I'd get some time without your constant nagging all the time."

" _Nagging_? Is that what you call me trying to help?!"

"You know what I don't understand, woman? It's why you can stand there, annoying the fuck out of me, claiming that you're trying to _help_. And with what? I'm sorry, but I failed to see what you're trying to help with? Is it me? Is it navigating the ship? If that's it, then don't worry your pretty little head about it. I figured out how to pilot this piece of junk while you were out from your own stupidity and touching extraterrestrial plants. And if it's me you're trying to help, then walk away before I remove you myself. Understand?"

Bulma didn't know what to say. What _could_ she have said? She could have yelled at him for being a jerk, but that wouldn't get them anywhere but more yelling and more arguments. After a few moments, her anger was gone and, unfortunately, replaced with sadness and a bit of guilt.

"Vegeta, do you hate me?" she asked, looking at the ground.

"How could you tell?" he spat.

"No, I'm serious. Stop being like that for once and just answer me. Do you not want me around here? Do you want me to leave?"

"… I don't really have a choice, woman, and neither do you. Frieza is going to send the rest of his soldiers to kill me and take you. At this point, you leaving isn't exactly an option for either of us…"

"Isn't there anything we can do to let him know that we don't want to be hunted? Can't we give him an alternative? Why can't we just sit down and talk about it like civilized people?"

"Because that bastard isn't civilized in the slightest way. He takes pleasure in killing others. The only thing we'll get out of trying to reason with him is our heads on a pike. The only message he'll get from that is a good laugh. When Frieza sets his mind on killing someone, he doesn't quit until his target is good and dead… And you aren't the type of person he'd forget about easily."

"What?"

"Don't play stupid, woman. You know damn well that you're not the ugliest female in the universe, and Frieza is even more aware of that deadly fact. Therefore, he's even less likely to put off trying to get to us or sending his minions to do it for him. He'll want to kill me as soon as he remembers you again. And it shouldn't take very long for that to happen. You're not an easy female to forget."

Bulma felt herself blush at the threat/compliment she was just given. She didn't know whether or not to respond with a thank you or to slap him across the face. Instead, she decided to ask him something.

"… What about my question?" Bulma said, tilting her head to one side.

"Which one?"

"From before."

"What?"

"Do you want me to stay or leave?"

"What about it?"

"Are you going to answer it?"

"I just did."


	22. Aquamarine

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Aquamarine**

The ship rumbled after about four hours of quiet as it entered the planet's atmosphere. Which planet they were landing on was still a mystery to Bulma. Vegeta had refused to tell her about their destination. It wasn't even like it was this huge secret. He didn't make that big of a deal about it that she thought he was actually doing something nice for once. That was a far reach for her guardian angel at that moment in time. She probably could have checked the control panels, but looking over his shoulders was bound to tick him off a bit. And she wasn't prepared to ruin the neutral state they were both in. it was a thin line between content and argumentative when it came to Vegeta and his arrogance. There was a lesson well learned.

"Don't worry about the oxygen levels or the environment. I've been to this planet before and it will suit a species like yours just fine, woman. There aren't any poisonous plants or vicious animals that can kill you and eat you for dinner. We are landing next to a small lake. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't go for a swim. Just find a small patch of grass and go to sleep or think about your life or something. I really don't care what you do. Just don't go in the water and stay in one place."

"Don't you think you're being a little too dramatic?" she asked, standing up off the tiled floor of the Capsule Corporation's space pod. She watched as he left the controls and made his way across the floor, past her.

"And don't bring anything sharp with you," he called sarcastically, making his way down the ladder to the lower floor. He came back up a few moments later with some food and water in a plastic bag. He threw it at her and she managed to catch the speed-bag throw with both hands. She caught him chuckle at her tiny triumph and rolled her eyes at the gesture.

"I'm not going to be able to sit there for hours, you know. And what happens if I want to go for a walk or something?

"Don't," he shrugged, "I told you what I expect. So just think of yourself as… grounded."

"You're punishing me?" she asked, smirking at him. Bulma felt her face go pink, but she didn't really care enough to stop looking at him like she was.

"You could say that," he replied, understanding her intentions and obviously ignoring them as he turned back to the controls, opening the huge metal door to show her that he wanted her to leave immediately. Bulma silently wondered why he would ignore such an obvious show of affection towards him. They were all alone now, and even when they weren't alone, he used to act on his impulses back on Earth. She wondered if she had done something wrong. He didn't seem offended. He just seemed like he honestly didn't care. Was that her fault?

"So, now what?"

"You leave me to my business and go sit in one place and stay there until I come and get you, woman," he said, waving a hand out the door in a motion for her to leave again. _He's being a little too persistent in this_ , Bulma thought, heading for the space vessel's big plated door.

"Are you okay?" she dared to ask, hoping the result wouldn't be the same as when they left Planet Aaraa. She crossed her fingers behind her back so he wouldn't see it.

"Fine," he mumbled, going back to the control panel to shut the door when she was cleared of its slow swing back up to its main slot on the pod's outer wall.

When Bulma didn't take the last step, staring off into the distance, Vegeta walked over to her.

"What's the matter?" he irritatingly asked her, not expecting or wanting this to end up being another wonderful argument about how he was feeling at that moment.

"Can you tell what that is over there?" she asked, pointing to something out in the distance. She guessed that Vegeta's Saiyan abilities would give him better sight than her.

"What _what_ is?" he asked, looking around. And then his eyes froze in one place. Between some trees, there was a small lake, as he had seen on the sensors in the pod. The setting looked like a miniature oasis in the middle of a grassy field. And the field went on and on as far as he could see, even being the Saiyan that he was. Whatever the thing he was trying to see was, it was moving around. He thought he sensed an energy level coming from it as well. It could have been an animal or a person. Or something else…

"Right there," Bulma strained, pointing in the direction of what she thought she was seeing. It looked like a blob from the distance she was standing from. She couldn't even make out the color of it, let alone if it was human or not.

"I'll go see what it is," he said, jumping into the air and flying off before she could tell him that she wanted to come along. Instead, she ran after him on foot, failing miserably at keeping up with his speed. But as she ran, she got closer and closer to whatever it was she had pointed out to Vegeta. She began to see the oasis. She clearly saw the five or six palm trees around a small, clear blue pond. Whatever she had seen, she could tell now that it was in the water, flailing around and splashing. She couldn't tell if the thing was only having fun… or drowning. She kept a third eye on Vegeta, watching as he landed and ran to the pond. He would already know what it was that was there by now. She guessed that the thing was drowning by the way he ran to it and dove into the water without even taking his shirt off first.

"Vegeta!" she called when she got close enough, "What was it?"

Then, she saw Vegeta climbing out of the water, drenched, with a figure held tightly in his arms. From the distance she was standing away from him, she could tell that the "thing" was actually a person with arms and legs. But the scary part was… she could have sworn that it was _herself_ being carried by her guardian angel…

When he came closer, Bulma saw her own aquamarine hair on another figure that was shaped almost identical to her. It was like she found her twin from a different world. The girl's eyes were shut as Vegeta placed her on the ground and started pumping the palms of his hands against her chest, trying to get the water out of her system where it didn't belong.

"At first, I thought she looked like you," he breathed, continuing to push on the front of her ribs as if nothing was wrong with the world.

"She has my hair," Bulma disinterestedly agreed, not liking the fact that Vegeta thought that this girl looked like her. He liked her looks, which also meant that he liked this girl's appearance as well. She felt her blood temperature rise a little. She folded her arms, not knowing what to do with them as she stood there uncomfortably, watching as the man she had come to… love… pushed on some girls fucking _breasts_. She didn't like the fact that he saved her life. She didn't like the fact that he was _still_ trying to save her life. It sincerely bothered the hell out of her, and she felt a little bad about it, too.

The girl's chest jumped up, once, with the rhythm of Vegeta' hands, and then she coughed up water. She flipped over and spit out more than a handful of the liquid and saliva that stuck to her mouth from the grass below her, connected by strings of her spit. She didn't even seem to mind that much. Bulma mentally rolled her eyes. Who did this girl think she was, anyway, coughing like that in front of her man? _What a jackass_ …

"But I knew it couldn't be you, woman," he added onto his previous statement, "because you would have blushed, even if you were unconscious," he smirked, and Bulma mentally wiped the sweat from her forehead at the comment. At least he found her special in some ways. That was a relief.

The girl panted heavily as she tried to stand up. Vegeta didn't stop her. Her aquamarine hair flew around in the wind like a wet mop. Bulma thought _her_ hair looked much better, not sensing how alike the two styles were. Bulma wished she had a nice sharp pair of scissors for the unknown female at that moment. And a beautiful white vanity for herself. She would show that girl what _real_ hair looked like.

"W… Who are you?" she breathed, looking up at Vegeta. Bulma's face went a bit warmer than usual, and she surprisingly hoped that the Saiyan Prince could sense it immediately. Maybe it would give him a hint as to what would happen if he acted the wrong way around this girl. The only pair of words that could come to Bulma's mind at that moment was _extreme_ catfight. And if Vegeta thought _he_ was good at beating people up, well, she would show him a thing or two.

"My name's Bulma," she said in the most innocent and kind voice she could muster at the time, "And this is—"

"Vegeta," Vegeta interrupted, apparently not liking it when someone else presented him as if he were a collector's item. Bulma took the hint and wrote a mental note of the offense.

The aquamarine haired girl wavered and almost fell over. Bulma watched Vegeta's flinch in case she needed to be caught and silently growled at the gesture. She was hating this girl more and more and she didn't even know who she was.

Here was a girl that almost drowned and the only thing she had said was a question as to who they were, and already, Bulma was calling her The Bitch in her head. This was supposed to be an adventure of life versus death between her and Vegeta. No outsiders were wanted in the slightest way. Then Bulma thought that she would enjoy another cute guy around to remind her guardian angel of how important she was to him. Some competition would keep him interested in her. That, along with the fact that he had pulled away from her when she kissed him before made her heart stop for a full minute. If he was getting bored with her… Then what would he think of this girl that so much resembled her in appearance? What if he liked this girl? What if he was bored with her and went for this other girl? Bulma had been stabbed through the heart by an arrow sent from cupid, and now it would be ripped out of her…? Would she be left to bleed her heart out?

"What happened?" Vegeta asked the aquamarine-haired girl.

"I… My space pod… It crashed… I've been here for a couple days," she said, beginning to get a hold on her bearings as she shook her head around a bit. "I went for a swim, but something caught my foot. I guess… I'm lucky you came when you did," she smiled. Bulma knew that the smile was genuine and in no way considered flirting with her man, but her straight, white teeth and her plump lips made Bulma want to strangle the life out of that bitch.

"I guess so," Vegeta echoed, looking around to make sure no threats were present. The wide open field made Bulma happy. At least, this way, even she would be able to see any oncoming dangers.

"Thank you for saving my life," the girl said, causing Vegeta to turn his attention back to her. "My name's Maron… I'm from Earth." Bulma gaped. This bitch was from her home planet? And where the hell did she get a space pod, or the money to buy one from Capsule Corporation? And if she didn't buy it, how did she obtain one? And then learn how to pilot it? Bulma looked around, but didn't find any remains from a crash. There wasn't even a slide mark along the ground or anything. There was no ripped up grass or dirt as far as her vision would allow her to see, and she guessed that if Vegeta had seen it, he would have said something about it or asked a question or two.

"Wait," Bulma said, "You told us that you crashed your space pod on this planet and have been stranded here for two days. What have you been doing? Did you send out a message for help or something because my parents would have been the first to receive the distress signal," she added.

"Your parents? Doesn't that mean you're Bulma Briefs, heir to Capsule Corporation?" Maron asked, a curious but still innocent tone to her voice.

"That's me," Bulma said proudly, puffing out her chest a bit at the obvious compliment on her part. It wasn't unnatural for people back on Earth to immediately know who she was, but to have someone like that unexpectedly found all the way out here was a nice surprise indeed.

Vegeta glanced over at her in an odd mix of pride and annoyance at her response. Bulma wanted to stick her tongue out at him like a child, but decided that it would be best to save that for when they didn't have company so she wouldn't look like an idiot. Or, according to Vegeta, even _more_ like an idiot.

"Wow. That's impressive. That means that you're the richest human alive. You have no idea of how much I've wanted to meet you, Ms. Briefs. This is really an honor," she smiled and tilted her head a bit to the left side. Maybe Bulma had been wrong about this girl. She seemed more interested in her and Capsule Corporation that Vegeta. She smirked inwardly. Maybe Vegeta wasn't as good looking as he thought he was. Maybe she had just been on edge because she was the only girl that found him attractive…

 _Yeah, right_ , she thought. This girl, Maron, was probably thinking of excuses as to why she didn't have to look at him because she'd go all red on him. She might even drool on herself if she took a long glance his way. There was no way in fucking hell that this girl wasn't thinking like a slut at that very moment. But the way Vegeta was watching her made her want to punch him in the gut for looking like a man-whore. At least he was keeping his eyes _above_ her neck. That was as reassuring as Vegeta could ever get.

"Thank you," Bulma replied, "I never thought I'd see someone from Earth out here, so this is really a surprise for me as well."

"I'm lucky you two came along when you did," she repeated herself from before. The fact that Bulma had nothing to do with the rescue made her want to ask Vegeta why he decided to save her in the first place. Although, he had said that at first, he thought Maron was her… Why would that be? He also told her that he'd been to this planet before, so he would know if he was having hallucinations. _That jerk_ , Bulma thought, _He knew it wasn't me_. She folded her arms in annoyance. Although, she would have thought worse of Vegeta if he hadn't saved Maron from drowning in the first place. That would have been much worse, despite the fact that she probably would have minded. She would regret it later on if the decision was up to her and she chose to leave Maron in the water. Drowning was a horrible, painful way to die, from what Bulma had heard and read, and if it were what it seemed, than she wouldn't wish it on anyone… or so she thought at the moment. There was also Frieza and the Whatever-Force that Vegeta had mentioned a few more times than necessary.

"Would you like me to take a look at your ship for you?"

"It's not worth your time. I checked the wires under the control panel and it would be impossible to pilot the ship even if you were able to restart the main engines, but the aluminum coils were torn and the metal palettes were fractured on the underside where you would have to crawl to if you wanted to fix the engines alone. But even then, I don't think it's even possible to connect all the split wires. Even if you could find where to reattach the snapped ones, some have frilled ends because of an apparent fire that occurred while I was entering the atmosphere."

Bulma's jaw almost dropped. This girl knew almost all the things she did by just the way the spoke about the ship. But she could tell that the vessel was indeed from Capsule Corporation. Her father had invented putting the wires and engine under the hull of the ship. That way, it would be less likely to be damaged if the ship happened to crash. But, apparently, it wasn't less likely _enough_.

"I think I'd like to take a look at it anyway," Bulma said, not wanting a piece of her own machinery to fall into the wrong hands, les someone find it later on and it was really operative. It was also possible that this aquamarine-haired girl didn't know what she was talking about. Vegeta obviously didn't by the blank stare on his face. Bulma hoped that he didn't find this other girl's intelligence impressive for any reason whatsoever. Bulma had to be the best if this girl was going to tag along with them. This was also another reason she didn't want Maron's ship to be broken. If it really was irreparable, then she would have to travel with them. "By the way you describe the ship's engine, I'm guessing that it was made by my company, correct."

"I don't know."

"… What?"

"I got the ship from a trader. It didn't have a company's name imprinted on the side. If it were from Capsule Corporation, I think I would have realized it from the symbol that you put on all of your products, correct?"

Correct _?! Jesus Christ!_ This girl was getting on Bulma's nerves. Who did she think she was anyway? And who the hell ever said "correct," especially to _her_?! If there was anyone who needed to be asked that question, it certainly wasn't the smartest teenager on Planet Earth! If anyone, it was this brainless moron! This poorly made clone of herself with half a brain!

"That's right. But traders can't get ahold of a ship like ours. Someone would have noticed it right away," Bulma replied, not letting her violent thoughts show through. She knew Vegeta could sense the anger coming from her, but he neglected to show it. "But then that still leaves the question of who the builder was. I wonder who could have manufactured such a product. My parents would have known about it if it had been made public." Bulma looked Maron up and down. "Are you sure it's irreparable? If there's even the slightest chance of me being able to fix it, you have to let me know."

"No. I'm positive. If the wires weren't frayed and if the coils weren't torn, I might say yes. But I know that it can't be fixed. No one would be strong enough to hold something like that together while I repair it. It's impossible—"

"Where's your ship?" Vegeta asked, and Bulma knew that when he heard "no one would be strong enough," the entire battle would be a losing one. She sighed and followed after him when Maron pointed off into the distance to the west, where the sun was beginning to set.

When they made it to the pile of metal scarps and rubble shoved deep into the ground, Vegeta grabbed ahold of one side and lifted the whole ship up, placing back on flat ground. Maron' mouth remained agape for a few seconds as the Saiyan Prince began bending the metal back into the places it was supposed to be and firing a small energy blast to close up the spaces between them with the heat of the energy. It was hotter than fire, so he accomplished the task with ease.

"Is he your bodyguard?" Maron asked, shuffling over to Bulma. She figured that someone as important as Bulma would have a bodyguard around her at all times.

She planned her response to be that he was her boyfriend, just to get the message across, but was quickly spoken over and interrupted by Vegeta.

"No." The tone that he used made Bulma let out a small laugh.

"We're just friends," she decided to say, and noticed when Vegeta turned and cocked and eyebrow at her. It seemed like he knew very well what she wanted to say before he responded for himself, and wondered why she had changed her mind afterwards.

"Well, I guess it's nice to have a nice guy around that's strong enough to be your bodyguard and yet your just friends with him." Bulma thought she saw a hint of something else in that sentence. It sounded like jealousy, but it could have been a number of other things as well. She also thought that Maron had stressed the word " _just_ " a bit too much for her liking. And why did she call him a _nice_ guy? She didn't even know him for the non-existent god's sake! And even if she caught a glimpse of his personality, her first reaction wouldn't be "nice"! It would be rude, arrogant, prideful, a jackass, or all of the above! The last thing anyone would say about him was that he was _nice_. Unless it was her, of course, because she felt that she knew him better than anyone in the universe.

"It can't be fixed," they heard Vegeta call to them, "Maron was right. The wires are too frayed on the stripped ends. If I try to put them back together with an energy blast, the only thing you'll get is a fried Saiyan."

"A what?" Maron asked, and Bulma mentally slapped her forehead. "What's a Saiyan?"

"I'm a Saiyan," Vegeta answered, and Bulma was curious as to why he would want to tell her that after he had such a hard time telling her after so much time together. Was he trying to show off or something, and for what purpose?

"Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf or are you just asking a stupid question?" Vegeta asked. A few emotions mixed inside Bulma's stomach… Or were they just butterflies?

"You mean you're a different species than us? You're a… _Saiyan_?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes in impatience with Maron. "Come one. You can travel with us, but we're being hunted, so I don't want to hear you complain, understand?" And then he walked off, back in the direction of their original space pod.

"He's _lovely_ , isn't he?" Maron asked Bulma sarcastically.

Bulma turned to the aquamarine-haired girl with an obvious scowl on her face. "Yeah. I think we can both agree that it would be better for you to stay away from him." And then she smiled.


	23. Argumentation

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Argumentation**

Bulma led Maron to their ship after Vegeta had decided to stay behind back at the lake. Bulma didn't like the idea of him taking a shower or a bath all by himself, but then she realized that she was only worried about _her_ being by herself. If anything, she wasn't the one who had to worry. That would be the burden for Vegeta to carry on his shoulders, not her.

The one thing she did have to worry about was that Maron kept glancing behind them. For what reason, Bulma could only guess. The foremost idea that she had come up with was that the bitch wanted to see him with his shirt off… or everything off. Bulma knew that Vegeta wouldn't mind, but that was Vegeta, and she was sure that _he_ would mind if another man was trying to see her without her clothes on. In fact, he'd probably kill whoever it was.

"So," Maron said, walking next to Bulma with her hands clasped behind her back and attempting, and failing, to discreetly look behind them to the lake once again. Bulma wanted to rip her hair out at how obvious the attempt was. If she was going to be an idiot about it, then she should do it at a different time.

"So what?" Bulma growled, proud that she could truly do something discreetly.

"Sooooo… do you like him?" she asked and Bulma's jaw dropped to the ground.

"Do I like _whom_?" she snarled in response.

"Don't play silly with me, girl. I know you like him," she smiled, winking at her. Bulma felt her face go red "It's too bad he doesn't like you back," she shrugged, continuing her walk to the space pod.

" _Excuse_ me?" Bulma fumed, ready to dispose of this girl as soon as possible.

"That man over there. What was his name again, Vajito?"

"It's _Vegeta_! And if you don't feel like having my shoe up your ass, then you'll stop turning around to see if you can spot him without any clothes on! You're being a _stalker_ and a _pest_. And being the one who has known him the longest out of the two of us, I can tell you that he really doesn't appreciate that kind of behavior." The fact that Maron's face went pink in response to Bulma claiming that she knew why she had been turning around before made her want to slit the bitch's throat. How could someone possibly believe that they had been sneaky while doing something like that? It just annoyed the shit out of Bulma. That was for sure.

"Geez, I didn't know you were still trying your luck with him," she said in a whiny tone, making Bulma want some earplugs very badly. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I thought you had given up already. If you really want me too, I'll stay away from him until you've had your fill. I don't mind waiting my turn. Just let me know when you're done, 'kay?"

Bulma felt like hyperventilating. This girl was dancing on her fragile and easily set-off nerves, and she'd be damned if she didn't do anything about it soon.

"Are you insane?! I'm not trying to _get_ him, you idiot. He's already mine! There's no turn for you. There's only me and Vegeta, until you came along, that is."

"Don't be so uptight, girl. All you had to do was tell me this to begin with and I wouldn't have said anything. I was just complimenting his appearance, that's all. Relax, girl. I didn't mean any offense by what I said. I just thought that maybe we could get to know each other better, you know? I always used to get together with my best friends because of a guy we both shared a common interest with. I just thought he was a guy that we could talk about together."

Bulma watched as Maron's face slowly fell and she began to feel like the bitch. It was true that there was nothing like a hot guy to bring friends for life together. Maybe Maron just didn't know that Bulma and Vegeta were together because Vegeta had quickly dismissed the question of whether or not he was her bodyguard. The message behind that response was directed at her, not this idiot. It was meant as if to say, "I'm tired of having to watch your back all the time, woman." Obviously, Maron wouldn't have known something like that. Bulma couldn't blame her. But she felt even worse because she was also a bit happy that Maron was so upset over something so small. And in some ways, it made her feel even better.

"That's fine. Don't get so upset about it. I just got a little aggravated. I'm sorry if I put you in the wrong position. I didn't mean to, really. I just thought you were trying to steal my man," she nervously giggled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Don't be like that," Maron said, walking ahead of Bulma. "Just because he's taken doesn't mean I can't try to get him anyway, right?" she smirked, and Bulma knew that the bitch had taken her message in the complete opposite direction than she wanted her to.

"I didn't mean it like that. He's still—"

"It's only a little healthy competition. The only thing you have to worry about is if I kiss him, because then he'll see the better option for him. But if he's really your man, then you should have nothing to worry about. After all, he would be faithful to you and you only, no matter how far I pushed him, right, girl?"

Bulma had heard enough of her to last her a lifetime.

"Are you even listening to yourself talking? I just told you that Vegeta isn't up for sale, understand? That means that you can't—"

"My gosh, girl, you're already so uptight about it. Are you sure he's faithful only to you? I saw the way he was looking at me before. And he had only kept his eyes on your _face_. And besides, there's more to getting a man than just a pretty surface expression and a nice personality. You have to have the _body_ , too," she said, swirling around like a monkey in a ballerina suit. Bulma was really getting prepared to pounce. She could feel her blood bubbling up a bit. A little push and she'd be boiling mad.

And then the bitch would be dead.

"Are you feeling any better about all this?" Maron asked, "Because, as I said before, I really don't mean any offense. It's just that some healthy competition might do you some good. Especially to find out if this "Vegeta" guy really wants you above… _everyone_ else, if you know what I mean?" She pointed to herself in such a slutty manner than Bulma actually became a little nauseous because of the inappropriate gesture.

It wasn't like Bulma thought that Vegeta would actually prefer this idiot over her, because it was realistically impossible. It was just the simple fact that this slut felt that she was all that and more when it came to guys. Well, obviously she had never met anyone like Vegeta before. Bulma smirked to herself. She had nothing to worry about. Maron kept talking about competitions between them for _her_ guardian angel. But, honestly, there was absolutely zero competition. Vegeta was hers and hers only. There was no other girl. There was no Maron. There was no competition. There was only Bulma and there was only Vegeta. And that was it. There was nothing else to that equation. It was so simple, and the fact that Maron couldn't see it only proved to increase how much stupidity Bulma gave her credit for.

"I think I'll be fine," Bulma replied, "And so will Vegeta. We have nothing to worry about."

"Why did you say "we"? It's not like Vegeta is yours for good. You could always break up, you know. And he's not your property. He's a living creature with his own mind. How _dare_ you put words in his mouth. You're obviously not a very good girlfriend for him."

"Well, if we break up, you'll be the first one to know, idiot," Bulma spat, ignoring the second comments that Maron had made. She knew all too well that Vegeta was his own man. He did what he pleased. She could never put words in his mouth.

"Idiot? At least I'm not as pathetic as you. You can't even stand up for your own boyfriend, slut."

" _What_?!" Bulma choked. "How dare you! I don't need to stand up for him. He can do that himself. He doesn't need my help. And _I'm_ the slut? If anyone is a slut around here it's _you_! And you can forget about even having a chance at getting _my_ guy because the only thing he sees you for is a chubby, stupid, ugly _bitch_! And if you really think he'd give up someone like me for a dope like you, then you're even stupider than that obnoxious mug of yours makes you look, _Maron_!"

Bulma panted after her tirade and watched as Maron's hair began to clash with the increasing red hue that was beginning to shade her face.

"You know what?!" she retorted, clearly not even having an answer for her own goddamn question. "I think you have controlling issues. If Vajitei doesn't want you over me and everything I can offer him then you are just going to have to live with that simple fact."

"It's _Vegeta_!" Bulma roared. She could almost feel the smoke blowing out of her ears. "And for the last time, he doesn't prefer you over the piece of dirt under his shoes! And you can offer him _nothing_. He doesn't want any of the crap you'll give him! He wants space and time alone while all you fucking want to do is whore around with him. And if you still think that I'm just going to _stand_ here while you try and fail, then you're the stupidest moron I've ever met in my entire life. And trust me when I say that I've met some stupid morns in my time, but you take the cake!"

"You're just jealous that your boy wants me. Of course you wouldn't just stand there. You'd be too busy stripping all your clothes off just so he'll take a quick side glance at you while he's fawning over _me_!"

"I don't _fawn_ ," Vegeta said casually. He came over to them as he wiped his face with his shirt. Bulma blushed a little at his freshly cleaned appearance. "And to be completely honest, I have no interest in ever mating with you," he added, earning a frown from Maron and a smirk from Bulma. "I have no interest in even talking to you," he said, walking past them and making his way to their space pod, throwing his shirt over his head as he swaggered. Bulma defiantly lifted her chin at Maron and sauntered after him. "And I'm not a _boy_ ," he called behind him, making Maron flush with embarrassment at her previous comment.

"Keep trying, bitch," Bulma sarcastically joked, "See where it gets you."

"And you, woman, better watch your mouth." Bulma gaped at him, but as he turned his head around, she found a smirk directed at her. She rolled her eyes at him and heard a light chuckle emanate from his throat in the close distance. She ran to catch up with him, not liking how Maron struggled to keep up with her. Although they may have had a lot of physical similarities, at least Bulma had more stamina than her. Maron seemed like a prostitute on crack. _Well, aren't they all?_ Bulma thought critically.

"Were you still going to train?" Bulma asked when she caught up to him.

"I was planning on it, but I don't know if you and the queen of stupidity over there were going to be able to survive without me. I doubt she doesn't want to start a fight with you. I can sense it."

"What, you think I can't handle her all by my little self?" Bulma asked, pushing out her bottom lip sarcastically.

"No. I think you can't control yourself. So if a fight started between the two of you, I'd rather not have to come back out of the space pod having to clean up your mess, woman."

"Don't worry, Vegeta. My maid, Chichi, taught me how to clean up after myself when I was young." Her face instantly became a frown. "And what do you mean, I can't control myself? I can so. I could avoid any fight if I had to. This moron would be easy to divert. And even if I couldn't, she has horrible stamina, so I could outrun her. And that goes for if we're attacked as well. She would be the first person down out of the two of us. And I'm sure that would give you enough time to come rescue me," she added, folding her hands together and looking up at him in mock-admiration.

"You know what, woman? I think I'll let you fight with her. Maybe a punch in the face will do you some good," he said, picking up the pace to their space vessel. Bulma scowled and followed after him at a slower pace, not all that eager to catch up with him. He would just say something else to annoy the hell out of her.

"He's so funny, isn't he?" Maron asked, catching up to Bulma and passing her. She made a fist to say that she liked the idea of hitting her. She jogged a little until she was at Vegeta's side. Bulma kept both eyes on her, hoping they'd burn right through the back of her head in due time.

"Soooooo… you excited?" Maron asked Vegeta. She was careful to keep her tone at a casual volume.

"No," he replied, deciding not to look at her as he responded.

"You don't even know what I'm talking about," she added, frowning.

"But I know that I'm not excited about anything."

Maron frowned. "But for this, you really should be excited."

"Do you have a point or should I just tell you to leave me alone."

"You want to hear my point?" she asked, trying to flirt.

"Not really."

"Oh. Well, okay, if you insist," she said, walking slower, falling behind, and letting her offer sink in.

Bulma laughed to herself, but made sure she was loud enough for Maron to hear her do it as well.

When Vegeta didn't pause or make a move to indicate that he was going to scream at her to just tell her already, Maron's face sank. She couldn't believe that he really didn't care. Bulma scoffed when the aquamarine idiot jogged a little again to catch up with her guardian angel. _Why was she still trying_ , she thought, _and why did she even try to begin with? It's a losing battle._

"Interested yet?" she asked, acting as if the anticipation was making him sweat.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"What's so different between us!" she blurted, a couple tears rolling down the sides of her face.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, looking over at her for the first time since she started talking to him.

"What's the big deal with her?" she asked, pointing to Bulma behind them and Bulma folded her arms. _This is going to be good_ , she thought, continuing to keep a distance between her and the two of them. She figured that she'd let Vegeta handle her in his own way.

"Her?" Vegeta asked, looking back at Bulma, "She's my mate."

Bulma's jaw dropped to the ground. _Mate_?! They hadn't even… What was he talking about?

"And she doesn't _bother_ me as much as you do, she's more attractive and she _isn't_ an idiot," he said flatly, "Does that answer your question?"

"I'm not bothering you! And I'm not an idiot! And to be completely honest with you, I think you're isolation from the rest of society, being with her for way to long, I mean, has led you to believe that a baboon like her is in any way attractive! If you're looking for a girl that's strong and able to support and produce fertile children, then I'm you're girl, not _her_!"

Bulma uncrossed her arms and picked up her pace. She could feel her face turning red.

"That would be true if I was looking for someone like you, but I am not looking for a _girl_. I am looking for a woman, and I've found the best one. And if reproduction becomes an issue, you'll be the third one to know, if that."

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm not good enough for a joke like you? Because I am good enough for kings and princes! I am the number _one_ choice on my planet!"

" _You're_ good enough for kings and princes! I'll have you know that I fit into one those categories and you're not worth the dirt under my boot, little girl." Bulma giggled at how he used the same reference as her. She wondered if it was by accident or intentional.

"You've got to be kidding me? I slime ball like you, either a king or a prince? I don't believe filth like that. No one would follow under the rule of a jackass like you. You're probably just some washout boy who worked for someone in the higher class. And because you're shined their shoes and made their meals, you think you're all that! Well guess what, jerk? I'm the highest class there is, and if you were anyone important, then I would have heard about someone as _special_ as you. But I've never even heard of a species called the _Saiyans_. You probably just made that up. And if you really are a prince or a king, then that means that your father and mother were in power before you. And I can tell that you aren't either a prince or a king because no _true_ king or queen would raise such a _disgusting_ child and call it their own!"

"Are you insulting my father?" Vegeta asked slowly. Bulma heard the obvious threat in his voice and ran to catch up with them. If anyone was going to throw the first punch at Maron, she be damned if it wasn't her. And even if she missed her chance at first, she wanted to watch Vegeta knock her out with a flick of his wrist.

"Damn right I am. And you're mother, too! She was probably some floosy that you're father happened to knock up while he was traveling around you're little made up planet. That's all _you're_ the product of! And where _is_ your planet anyway? Maybe if you told me where it was then I'd believe you about all this and your shitty storytelling. But you're probably the ruler of some made up planet. You rule over _nothing_! You have no people to rule! You're just some _washout_! You're a _nobody_!"

Vegeta snapped. Bulma watched as he exploded. She could literally feel the energy coming off of him as he pushed Maron forward with such force that it not only created a ditch in the ground where she landed, but knocked the breath out of her so that she was left gasping as she lay in the grass. In the next moment, Vegeta was over her, one leg to each side of her body. Bulma ran to catch up when she noticed him tearing off her shirt with both hands. Red streak marks where left where her shirt was ripped over her skin.

"Stop! Stop it, please!" Maron wailed, tears flowing like a river down her face.

"Shut up!" Vegeta yelled, flipping her onto her stomach and tearing at her dark blue jeans. They came off her easily, but Bulma saw a few more red streak marks mixed with a couple open scrapes where the harder fabric must have cut into her. A bit of blood trickled down her legs onto the grass.

"What are you doing?" Bulma called to him, but he didn't acknowledge her. He didn't even turn around to notice that she was quickly running towards the two of them. She watched him as she ran. He tore off her bra and Bulma heard a panicking scream come from the base of Maron's throat. What surprised her even more was that she could clearly hear Vegeta's deep growls from the same distance, over Maron's screams, even though they were naturally a lower volume.

She hadn't heard everything Maron had said about him, but she knew that the aquamarine moron had talked down against his heritage and his planet. And she knew that that was a big no-no in Vegeta's point of view. The same went for her point of view. She knew very well not to insult his planet. And she had learned from both physical and emotional pain that insulting his father and mother was even worse that that. She had paid a horrible price for that mistake. Would Vegeta make Maron pay a price as well? It was troublesome for Bulma because Vegeta had stopped hurting her when he realized what he had been doing. This was different. There was nothing to tell him that what he was doing was wrong. There was nothing to stop him from killing her if he actually got to that point.

The fact that he was tearing at her clothes, though, was what got her worried. He was already down to her underwear. What was he planning on doing to her anyway? Of course, he wouldn't actually _rape_ her… Would he?

Bulma ran faster.


	24. A Few Decisions

**Chapter Twenty-Four: A Few Decisions**

Vegeta looked down at the screaming girl below him and paused for a second to think about what was occurring. This little bitch had just insulted his father, something he would never allow from anyone, not even his woman. His mother, he hadn't known too well, but his father… His father used to mean everything to him…

He knew that the bitch deserved nothing short of what he was planning on doing to her fragile and so easily breakable form. No other species would snap so easily. That he knew. No other species would die with such a miniscule amount of force applied from his hands. He knew that fact very well, considering how easily his woman could be harmed… he would never let himself do that to her again. He would die before having to watch that look of fright on her would-be attractive features. That stare of fright that was so painfully directed at him… Because of what he had done…

Thinking about his woman caused Vegeta to glance around the area. She was running towards him with a worried look on her face. Nothing extreme. She was easily worried. He looked back down at the bitch. Of course she deserved what he was going to give her. Afterwards, she would deserve a painfully slow death… Then why was he hesitating?

He thought about what the aqua-haired female would think, having to watch something that she would have never imagined in her entire existence. But then, he would look like the bad guy, and the last thing he wanted was to frighten her again. He wouldn't want to scare her out of coming to his bed when she was ready, with the images of what he would do here, to this disgusting female, stuck to the front of her mind. It would make her reluctant. He couldn't even remember the last time he had felt sweet release. And, to be honest with himself, he never liked waiting for something such as that. It was just that, in his past, he got women when he wanted them. Something about this aqua-haired female made his view on taking another female but _her_ made his feel a bit awkward. Back on her planet, even when he thought she would never desire to see him again, let alone mate with him, he had a horrible time trying to satisfy his own fucking needs. And that was when he had _truly_ believed that he was never going to be able to mate with her because of what he had done. Sometimes he wondered if she even knew how much she had been screwing with his goddamn head since the first time he laid his eyes on her. Maybe she liked fucking him up like that. He smirked to himself. He'd like to fuck her up like that as well.

He stole another glance at the trembling form below him, in nothing but her lacy purple and black underwear. Sure, he was mad. He was furious, actually. But _his_ woman could never watch him do something so violent. It would mark her. She would be damaged… again, by something _he_ did. And he would never let her see him angry like that ever again. It was a promise not only to her, but to himself as well. And this time, he wouldn't break such a promise even if his life depended on it.

Vegeta silently let out a breath and rolled off of the aquamarine-haired bitch. He mentally made himself another promise. He would be damned before he didn't give the bitch what was coming for her. And at that time, the aqua-haired female wouldn't be around to save her. It would be simple. One night, his woman would go to bed, and the next morning, there would only be the two of them. It would be swift. He smirked. She wouldn't even notice the difference, and if she did… He knew she would gladly accept an early birthday present.

"Vegeta!" Bulma called, seeing him roll off of Maron. She couldn't help but let out a silent relieving sigh at the fact that she wouldn't have to run any faster. Maron was loudly hyperventilating, her sharp breaths being inhaled and exhaled with force. Bulma didn't know why she did it, but she ran to Maron and fell to her knees at the aquamarine's side. "Are you okay?" she quickly asked, looking around for the right pieces of clothing. She grabbed the aquamarine's bra and threw it on top of the girl's chest.

"Cover yourself," Vegeta ordered, turning his head to look her up and down one last time before she put her clothes back on. Not that he wanted to see her revolting features, compared to his woman. It was just to remind the bitch that he was still there and could do what he pleased with her at any time he wished. He wouldn't have made his eyes burn on purpose if he didn't think the cause was at least a little bit necessary. "You look like a dying animal."

"I don't know how you can be going out with a lunatic like him," Maron breathed to Bulma. Vegeta rolled his eyes. She was still trying to insult him? That was a mistake. He wasn't finished with her yet. And then his ears perked up.

"Woman," he said accusingly, smirking at her as he sat up in the grass as if he'd just had his homemade Thanksgiving dinner.

"I never…" she tried, but didn't find that she wanted to deny ever saying such a thing. She looked back at him and mimicked his smirk. "Well? Aren't we?"

Vegeta kept his light composure, but the single and foremost thought that raced through his mind was his most recent dream, and the last thing he saw before she… He mentally shook his head. He wasn't going to hurt her. The dream was exactly that: a _dream_. They had never affected his so much in the past. Well, he hadn't exactly had all that many dreams in his wonderful past, but the ones he did have, he never really minded. And he usually forgot about them after a couple days anyway. He guessed that he only remembered this one because it involved his woman being brought harm… by him again. That always seemed to dwell in his mind after he had gotten angry with her back on her home planet. He knew now that he couldn't hurt her. It was impossible. His body would no longer allow it. Even if he wasn't himself, he wouldn't allow it to happen.

A part of him saw this as a weakness that only someone like her could have brought upon him. He cursed her and thanked her at the same time for it though. The one weakness he would ever be okay with. It was a miracle in his eyes. He would have never agreed that something like that would ever happen to a Saiyan warrior like him until he actually experienced the damn sensation of it. And it was all his woman's fault. He would have never believed that a simple Earthling female could affect him so much unless he experienced that as well. He smirked again. And an experience she would be.

"I guess," he replied, earning himself an attempted hidden look of shock from the aqua-haired female. The attempt had impressively failed on her part.

"Stop flirting with him," Maron ordered Bulma, "He's a monster. All he'll ever do is hurt you."

Vegeta frowned. Now there was something he wouldn't tolerate. She could insult him all she liked, but telling his woman _her_ fucking reasons to stay away from him definitely wasn't an option for her if he had anything to say about it.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut your mouth," Vegeta threatened, causing Bulma to throw him a glare. He ignored it. "Permanently."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, a few tears of fright rolling down her face onto the grass underneath her head. "Kill me?"

"Oh, no. I'll do much worse than that. And I'll make sure you're death is some _other_ , less threatening creature's fault. Not mine. I don't want your pretty little head on my death list. It would give me a bad name, what with your stupidity and weaknesses."

Maron looked up at Bulma.

Most of Bulma's head was screaming at her to just kill her off herself, because currently, she wouldn't even need Vegeta's assistance with the task. It was tempting, she would admit that, but another part of her told her to help the aquamarine instead. She cursed herself for being a girl. Those cursed motherly instincts would be with her for her entire life. And out of all the people they would decide to kick in for, why did it have to be Maron? It wasn't that big of a deal. Most of her wanted to just get rid of the bitch for what she said about Vegeta's parents and planet, but she also just wanted to leave her there. she felt no pity. The bitch deserved that much at least.

And then her sympathetic side kicked in. What if that was her, in Maron's place? Hated by a girl that you were once inspired by, and almost raped by the man that had just saved your life. She began to feel a bit of unwanted pity towards her.

"Are you going to kill me?" Maron asked, taking Bulma by surprise. More tears were flowing down Maron's face. The ground below her was now wet enough to enable mud to stick to the hair on the back of her head.

"No," she said sternly, but still a bit cautious because of the question. It just didn't seem like something the aquamarine would ask. Bulma had just thought that every word out of her big mouth would be an insult or something that would only benefit her. But what was radiating from her now was honest fear. Bulma mentally shrugged. People did tend to have some strange side effects and say some anti-character fitting things when they were filled with fear. Bulma jokingly guessed that Maron probably forgot to take her pills that morning. Maybe because she wasn't expecting anyone to come along and save her. _At least we didn't find her masturbating_ …, Bulma thought, and then mentally slapped herself for the disturbing image that was now satisfyingly parading around in her head.

Vegeta stood up and took two steps to walk over to the two of them. He grabbed Bulma's elbow with one hand and lifted her up next to him. He then scowled at Maron.

"I thought I told you to cover yourself," he stated angrily. He turned his head to Bulma. "Come on," he told her before turning again to Maron, "If you're not covered and ready to leave by the time I start our pod, we're leaving without you. Understand?" Maron made to open her mouth, but was cut off. "Just nod if you understand," he spat, "I don't want to hear your voice unless it's obligatory."

Maron nodded, swallowing hard as she did so.

"Good," Vegeta said smugly, turning around and pulling Bulma along so that she remained next to him as he walked back to their Capsule Corporation space pod.

"So…" Bulma said, beginning a question, but not finishing it.

At first, Vegeta didn't want to be bothered, but then he turned to her, making a point of not slowing down his pace. He wasn't appreciating the her boldness at that moment.

"So _what_?" he asked, a bit irritated with the act he was being forced to put on for her amusement.

"Did you still want to train or what?" she asked, realizing the bad mood that she was getting him in. She also noted how Maron had thrown on her clothing and was now following them at a slow and steady pace, making sure to keep a good distance between them until it was required of her to pick up the pace or be left behind.

"I'm not in the mood," he said simply, walking a bit faster. Bulma took note again on how he sped up when he was aggravated or provoked. "Maybe," he added, not sure if he was going to change his mind.

"Keep in mind that I'm not the one who can't handle her," Bulma said, "Because _you_ were the one who got into a fight with her, not me."

"And what an unexciting and hopeless fight it was," he sighed, glad that his woman wasn't affected by what he had done. Even considering how much she disliked the bitch, he had thought that she would have something to say about it. _Anything_. His only guess, as for a reason why, was that she hated the bitch more than he originally thought she did. He shrugged to himself. He didn't care, really. He felt the same way.

"Don't ever do that again," she said, and Vegeta mentally sighed. He knew she couldn't go without saying something about it. He didn't mind. He felt like he was going to need something to o sooner or later anyway.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, mocking naivety.

"You know damn well what I mean. What in the world were you _thinking_?" she said, the volume in her voice rising ever so slightly. Vegeta chuckled to himself at her tone. "It's not funny, Vegeta," she unsympathetically growled.

"Actually, she deserved it and you agree with me."

"I do _not_. There was a thin line between what was okay and what wasn't, and you crossed _way_ over."

Vegeta paused, taking a second to release her elbow from his iron grasp.

"You know, I think I _do_ want to train," he said, "You don't mind if I leave you out here for, I don't know, nine hours or so, do you?"

"I don't think so. You can train when Maron isn't with us anymore."

"Considering the way you're saving her every time I try to get rid of her, I'm never going to be able to train."

"Good," Bulma said, crossing her arms and swinging her head out to one side.

" _Not_ good. If I don't get to train, the next people that Frieza sends after us are more likely to be able to kill me and/or take you."

"Well then you'd better find a way to get rid or her other than rape, murder, butchery, mutilation, disfigurement, maiming, killing, assassinating, marring, manslaughter, homicide, shooting, stabbing—"

" _Not_ that I don't agree with you, woman, but there's no need for shooting and stabbing," he said, "Do I really look like a person that needs a weapon to get rid of someone like _that_?" he asked, nudging his head in Maron's general direction. She looked up at the indication and then quietly looked back down. Vegeta triumphantly smirked, as if to say that she finally knew her place.

"We're leaving this planet immediately," she said, "You can train when we reach a planet that has a hotel or something."

"You want to land on a populated planet?" he asked, and Bulma couldn't understand why that would be an unexpected statement for him to hear.

"What's wrong with that?"

"… Nothing. It's just that if you had said that in the _first_ place, then we wouldn't have our brainless companion tagging along with us."

"So you're blaming _me_ for _her_?" Bulma asked skeptically.

"I never blamed you for anything, woman. Why don't you try _listening_ for once in your life?"

"Don't raise your voice at me," she said forcefully, unfolding her arms and placing her fists at her sides.

"Just because my voice is louder than yours doesn't mean that it's raised."

"No, it doesn't. But if it's louder than it was ten seconds ago, then you obviously turned up the volume a little."

"If it was so little, then why do you care?"

"Don't get snippy with me," she said quickly. Vegeta rolled his eyes and picked up his pace again, forcing Bulma to have to jog to stay next to him. "Why do you do that?" she asked, her breathing becoming heavier.

"Do _what_ , woman?"

"Walk faster when you're irritated."

"I don't know. Let's see… Maybe because I'm _irritated_."

"But you always do it."

"I'm sorry you care so much about things that aren't important?" he replied, saying it as if it were a question. He didn't know what else to say to such a comment.

"If I care about something, then it's _clearly_ important enough for me."

"What exactly _is_ your definition for important?"

"Stop being an ass, Vegeta."

"Me?"

"No. The _other_ Vegeta. Who do you think?"

Vegeta chuckled and slowed his pace, seeing as if he went any faster, his woman would have to start at a slow run just to keep up with him.

"Where are we going?" Maron called and Bulma's spirits dropped about a half an inch. _Damn_ , she thought menacingly, _I_ _forgot she was still there_.

"To my space pod," Bulma called back. Apparently, Vegeta's annoying speed-up had left her farther behind than before. Neither she nor Vegeta really minded though. It was nice, not having her listening to everything they said to one other. She was a bit unnerving to Bulma at some moments when they spoke with each other.

Maron huffed, surprisingly understanding the meaning of what Bulma had intended in her response. Although a glare from Vegeta made her put her head down.

"You're scaring her," Bulma said flatly, not sure if she thought that was okay or not.

"The wild animal has been tamed," he mocked, "And she knows her master."

"That would be _you_?" Bulma asked pointlessly.

"At your service," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"… So, are you going to train or not?" Bulma asked.

"I thought you wanted that hotel of yours."

"Just _answer_ my question."

"Not here. I think a hotel would be a good idea. I could put you and _Moron_ over there in separate rooms—"

"It's _Maron_!" Bulma heard the screech from behind them and let out a giggle. She was so easily angered. And it was exceptionally enjoyable and entertaining to set her off like that.

" _Really_ ," Bulma whispered contemptuously to Vegeta, "Will you get it _right_?"

"That's very unladylike of you."

"I didn't know you _wanted_ me to be a lady," Bulma said matter-of-factly. She hoped Maron was watching her. Maybe she'd learn a few things about flirting _and_ getting it right at the same time.

"Only on the streets, woman."

Bulma cocked a fine eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Vegeta only smirked at the air in front of himself and continued walking. A couple seconds later, they both reached the space vessel. Bulma hit the button that opened the door. When the entrance was cleared, she stepped inside.

"Hurry up," she heard Vegeta say to Maron, and within a few more seconds, Maron was in the vessel as well, panting heavily next to Bulma with her hands on her knees. apparently, she was well aware of the fact that Vegeta would have rather closed the door before she arrived than any time after that.

"It's almost sunset," Bulma pointed out as the door to the pod slid shut with a light thumping noise. Vegeta walked over to the control panels and punched in a couple coordinates. "Where are we going?" she asked him, walked over to take a peek over his shoulder at where he was instructing the pod to go. Vegeta lifted his shoulder and hit her in the chin as she leaned forward. "Jerk," she mumbled, backing off for a moment. She looked behind her to find Maron giving her an "I told you so" sort of look. Yeah, well she'd show her exactly _who_ was showing _whom_.

Bulma walked over to Vegeta and wrapped one arm around his waist. He didn't flinch. He didn't even move at her touch. She frowned at how futile her attempts were. She didn't need to turn around to see the look on Maron's face. She could almost feel it… Or was that her own embarrassment?

"Oh, _Vegeta_ ," she said coquettishly, lightly running her hand over his lower stomach.

"What do you _want_ , woman?" he exasperated, still ignoring her touch. He pulled down the lever and Bulma wrapped both her arms around him so that she wouldn't fall. By the speed that he had programmed into the vessel's main computer, she would have guessed that Vegeta was in a bit of a rush. She cursed him in her head for being so fucking bipolar at some inappropriate times.

Bulma let go of Vegeta with a sigh and turned around.

"Told you," Maron mouthed, and Bulma turned scarlet from her neck to the top of her head.

"Excuse me?" she asked, starting towards the aquamarine as the pod cleared the atmosphere. The rumbling was over and they were moving relatively steady now.

I didn't _say_ anything," she uttered under her breath, yet still loud enough for Bulma to clearly understand her.

"If you want to tell me something, then spit it out already. I haven't got all _day_."

"I told you. I said _nothing_. Why do you keep asking me? Leave me alone, will you?"

Bulma glanced at Vegeta, but found that he wasn't going to give her any support any time soon. She whipped back around to face Maron. "No, I will _not_ leave you alone because you're on _my_ ship. And I'll ask you anything I want and you'll just have to _deal_ with it. And if you think that they're any chance that you can be a smart-ass without me sending you out the air lock, then you'd best just say it or keep your goddamn mouth _shut_!"

That _made Vegeta turn around_ , she thought satisfyingly, noticing him walking towards the ladder to the lower floor.

"You're in my space pod. I even helped build it with my father. So you are going to have to follow some rules around here. _My_ rules. Understand?"

Maron folded her arms. When Vegeta was out of sight, she smirked at Bulma as if she were better than her at everything imaginable. She kept her voice low so as not to direct the arrogant Saiyan's unwanted attention to herself.

"Listen to yourself. You think you're all that and more. But you're boyfriend doesn't even want you around. Haven't you thought about what is good for you and what isn't? And by the looks of it, you seem a little desperate."

"Desperate? _Me_? You have got to be kidding me. _You're_ the one who was trying to get Vegeta's attention when he didn't want to give it to you."

"And what were _you_ just doing, exactly? From the looks of it, I could have sworn that you were trying to get his attention. And I could have sworn that he wasn't giving it to you."

"He was piloting the ship!"

"Are you sure?" she smirked.

"Yes! Of course I am…" Bulma's voice trailed off a bit, making Maron smirk even more. Vegeta had been acting a bit strange lately. When she had tried to kiss him earlier in the day, he had shoved her away, as if she had done something wrong. At that time, she hadn't thought on it, but now that she remembered… And he hadn't responded to her touch… What was happening to him? To her? … To _them_?

"Woman!" Vegeta called, poking his head above the ladder.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously.

"Does this piece of junk have any weaponry on it?" He jumped up and ran to the control panel.

"Why?" Bulma asked, confused by the question.

"Because," Vegeta said, turning his head around to look at her for a moment. "We've got company."


	25. Landing

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Landing**

 _Now landing on the planet's surface_ , the computer's voice called, the high pitched ringing bouncing around the ship like an energy blast.

Bulma sat up and yawned, stretching out her arms over her head as she did so. Maron was just waking up across the room and, like usual, Vegeta wasn't there. The three day ride to this planet that apparently Vegeta knew had a hotel had been a rough one. Bulma hadn't tried to push Vegeta, feeling that if he wanted her around to do something, he would let her know somehow. But over the past three days, it was almost as if he was avoiding her. Well, as much as the space pod would allow. He didn't even want to sleep on the same level as her. He wanted to be separated between her and Maron, as if he needed to be alone. Bulma hoped that was all it was.

Bulma climbed the ladder to the main floor and saw him standing at the controls, once again, as usual. She didn't mind giving him some space when he needed it, but she wasn't planning on being his physiologist when he felt depressed for extended periods of time. Almost all of her was screaming at her to just tell him that she wanted him and wanted him now, but that damned little piece of goodness in her was holding her tightly back on a poison-tipped, metal chained collar. And it was refusing to let go, despite her ever present wishes for it otherwise.

"Sleep well?" he asked, and Bulma could tell that he was just asking because she was standing directly behind him, doing nothing but staring at his broad, muscular back. She wondered if he even knew she was there. Like, _really_ knew. Or if he had just sensed her and didn't care. She put her head down and let the feeling of loneliness wash over her. She didn't know why she felt it. He was, after all, standing right there. Maybe she was the one who needed the physiologist…

Not caring that he probably wouldn't give a damn about anything she did, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and pressed her cheek into his back. She was dead on. He didn't even flinch at her touch. But she didn't care. She knew he wouldn't have. She just wanted the company. And the simple yet joyful fact that he wasn't pushing her away made it all worthwhile.

"This is Planet Trigone. They have a powerful leader… But I think he'll remember me," he smirked, turning his head around to look at her over his shoulder. She smiled back. That was the first time she had seen him even indicate that some things in life were okay at best within the past three days. It was a relief to Bulma to see him back to normal… whatever normal was for Vegeta.

"Why is that?" she asked, trying to get him to smirk again.

"I made him a deal a few years ago," he said flatly, stepping forward and breaking out of Bulma's embrace. Her face fell ever so slightly, but she perked up instantly in case he might have noticed her reaction.

"What was it?" she asked, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him once more, this time from the front. She was eternally grateful when he didn't back away, but then realized that it was only because he was still ignoring her physical motions towards him.

"He would grant me whatever I wished in return for keeping his planet safe… from me," he added and Bulma happily sighed when he smirked again.

"Does that deal still apply today?" she asked, needing a reason to continue to hear his voice.

"It doesn't matter. He remembers me. Deal or not, I still get what I want. The deal was only there for _his_ benefit." Another smirk. "I could have anything I wanted anyway."

"You seem awfully happy about all this."

"You could say that… But then again, not really."

"What do you mean?"

"If you encounter any… females who talk about me on this planet… know that they were only part of the deal." Bulma raised her eyebrows at him as he continued to smirk. "I was on this planet for a _very_ long time, woman." Apparently he didn't mind telling her about girls that he had been with in the past. Maybe he hadn't spent enough time on Earth…

Bulma wasn't exactly sure how she felt about the fact that the man who called her his mate had been with so many other girls in the past, though. It may have bothered her if her attention was focused on it, but that time wasn't now. She wanted to find out what was wrong with him before he pushed her too far away.

"At least I know you've had some practice," she joked, feeling that a direct approach was the best way to reach him. All she wanted was for him to stop acting so strange. As if everything in life was a plan and his had just gone terribly wrong to the point of no return.

He raised an eyebrow at her comment. She noticed how he was no longer smirking.

"And how many men have you taken to your bed, woman?" he asked, as if he'd just been horribly insulted. She put her head down, not wanting to tell him that just yet. She didn't know how he could get so easily offended by bringing something like that up around him. Especially about himself. He was usually the one who enjoyed bragging about his many accomplishments. "That's what I thought…" he mumbled, making Bulma's head sink even lower.

Why was he acting like this? The only different thing about that moment was that Maron was with them. Was this really all her fault? It couldn't be. Vegeta wasn't easily influenced, especially by Earthling females, as she was well aware of by now. but he had been acting strange starting right after they had left Planet Aaraa, where she had almost been poisoned to death by a bunch of plants. Was that what was bothering him so much?

"Vegeta…" she began, and then stopped when he looked over at her. She didn't want to piss him off even more than he already was. She turned to go back down the ladder, but stopped when a heavy hand was placed on her shoulder.

"What is it, woman?" he asked harshly, and Bulma appreciated the less-than-kind gesture on his part.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and Vegeta was taken a bit aback by the sincere honesty in her voice, as if there was seriously something wrong with him. He mentally punched himself for giving her the wrong idea.

"I have a lot on my mind," he said monotonously. He had been acting roughly around her. Maybe a bit _too_ rough for a female; his own female nonetheless. If he wasn't who he was, he probably would have apologized to her. But he didn't.

"You've been acting weird lately," she pressed, and Vegeta had to force himself not to get angry. She didn't mean any harm. Unlike those bastards that took orders from Freiza… Those bastards that wanted the two of them dead. "I just wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong."

"Wrong?" he asked skeptically, "You think having Frieza trying to kill us doesn't count as "something is wrong"? You don't think that they may kill me because I haven't been training doesn't count as "something is wrong"? You honestly believe that the next warrior that finds us may take you back to Freiza so you can whore for him while they torture me to death in front of you doesn't count as " _something is wrong_ "? I find it odd, woman, how you can think that nothing is wrong when our vessel has _no_ weapons whatsoever and there are two pods following close behind us. If you haven't come to realize it yet, they've been on our tail for the past few _days_."

Bulma guessed, from his response, that it was mostly stress that was bothering Vegeta. She mentally laughed. Even the Prince of the Saiyans could get stressed sometimes, she guessed. At least he wasn't yelling at her when he made to prove his point. He kept his voice low, which was a bit unusual, especially for her guardian angel… She truly hoped that he was stressed out about everything that was going on and everything else that had already happened and passed. If it was something else that was the cause of his different behavior, then she realized that they may have a problem on their hands.

But she had actually forgotten about the two pods. She felt a bit embarrassed about it, but there hadn't been any signs of hostility from them. Maybe they were just going to the same planet that they were headed for. Maybe they needed help, but their communication lines were down. It would be obvious that the only logical thing to do would be to follow their ship until they landed on a planet. Then, they would be able to ask for assistance if they felt that they honestly needed it. If it was one of Frieza's men come to kill them, then that person hadn't even attempted the completion of his or her mission. From the looks of the two pods, they could easily have carried weapons that could have destroyed the Capsule Corporation's vessel with a few attacks. Since they were still there, it was clear to Bulma that they didn't want to harm them.

"Wake up the other one, woman," Vegeta ordered, and Bulma liked the way he referred to her as the "other one". It made her feel important to him. A wave of some foreign emotion instantly fell over her. Did she really need him to insult someone else to make herself feel special to him? What in the world was going on with them both? Maybe Vegeta wasn't the problem. Maybe _she_ was…

Bulma solemnly nodded and went down the ladder to get Maron out of bed.

"Hey," she said, shaking the aquamarine's shoulder. She did it with more force than necessary, but it was only because it was Maron.

"Five more minutes," the aquamarine groaned, flipping over onto her stomach.

"Maron, wake up already. We've landed and I'm going to get a hotel room and buy some supplies. You're coming with me because Vegeta has to stay here and train for a few hours."

"I don't mind staying here," she mumbled through her pillow.

"I'm sure you wouldn't, but you'd probably be killed by the extra gravity… If Vegeta doesn't get to you first."

"No. No, I think I'll be fine." Maron sat up slowly, stretching out her legs in front of her and arching her back with a moan. God, did Bulma hate that girl's guts.

"Unless you want me to kill you instead," Bulma began, making sure the bitch was paying attention, "You'll come with me without a fuss. Do you understand?"

"You can't even come close to hurting me, _wimp_ ,' Maron challenged, making Bulma ball her hands into fists. She could feel her nails digging into her skin and her knuckles turned a bit whiter than usual because of the pressure.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Vegeta called, jumping down to the second floor. He didn't feel like using the ladder any more than he felt like holding his breath for no good reason. Both were completely unnecessary for a Saiyan Prince.

"And just why not?" Maron asked. Bulma could tell that she was still a little shaken about being almost-raped by him. The fear was gone from her face, but not entirely from her tone.

"Because I won't bother stopping her," he said, juggling something in one hand. Bulma saw that it was an apple. She wondered when he had found time to go the refrigerator… _In all his free time_ , Bulma thought sarcastically, mentally rolling her eyes. She still didn't understand why he claimed to be so goddamn busy for the past few days. To her, there was basically nothing to do but eat, sleep and go to the bathroom. Other than that, she had more free time than she could handle.

Bulma thought back to the last time she had been in her bedroom back on Earth. It was when she was packing her bags for the trip she was currently on. She hadn't really packed anything to occupy herself because she had believed that Vegeta would be plenty of entertainment just in himself. She was also, thanks to Maron's deeply unwanted arrival, horribly sorry that she didn't pack her makeup. Maron had made it an all-important point to show Bulma that she put on her makeup every fucking morning… She really hated that bitch.

And it was so stupid how she felt that Vegeta would invite her to his bed just because she put messy makeup all over her already wrinkly and horrid face. It wasn't like she really needed anything to make it any worse than it already was. And how in the world could she believe that Vegeta wanted her when even _she_ was being ignored: the one he had called his mate. _What an idiot_ , Bulma thought, almost aloud. _She probably believes that he's ignoring me for_ her _benefit_. If what he had done to her before wasn't getting through to her brainless airhead, Bulma didn't know what could. It seemed as if nothing in the universe could be persuasive enough.

"Get out of bed," Bulma pressed to the aquamarine, " _Now_."

"My _gosh_. You're pushy today," she whined, making Bulma want to strangle the life out of her. At least she was moving. That was a plus for all three of them. Bulma didn't feel like cleaning blood off of her father's space pod; it was way too much work for her liking. Although… there was probably plenty of room _outside_ …

"Just get up," she said, exasperated. Bulma dropped her balled fists to her sides and let them relax before she made her way back to her makeshift bed. It was basically a sleeping bag. Nothing special.

She pushed a few things into her backpack that she thought she may need later on, especially if Maron was going to be in the same room as her for more than a couple hours. _Let's see_ , she jokingly though, _a knife, a gun, some beer and scotch, etc_.

"I'm going to go check on our _tailgaters_ ," Vegeta scoffed, hopping up to the main floor, once again, not using the ladder for his own benefit.

"Come on," Bulma ordered to Maron, who glowered at her in response. She ignored it, even though it took a great deal of effort to stop her from punching the bitch right in the gut. What made it even harder was the fact that Vegeta had told the two of them that he wouldn't even raise a hand to stop her from doing anything. It just made the bloody offer that much more enticing.

Luckily for the aquamarine, Maron followed sluggishly behind Bulma to the ladder as they both followed after Vegeta at, of course, a much slower pace. When they reached the main floor, the door was already opened and Vegeta was stepping out onto Planet Trigone. Bulma caught a whiff of the crisp air and was happy that Vegeta remembered that she needed oxygen to survive. The planet's surface had no grass or trees as far as she could see. It was all barren land and desert. A few dried twigs stuck up from the ground here and there, but other than that there was nothing living or breathing. Except for the three of them.

"Where is everybody?" Bulma asked, making Vegeta turn around.

"The towns are a few miles up the road, but the two pods aren't here," he said with disdain. "They haven't landed on the planet's surface…"

"Maybe they were just going to the same place we were, and then further. Maybe their pit stop is on a planet after this one. Maybe you're being too paranoid, Vegeta."

"Or maybe they're circling around to find out where we're going before they land."

"Definitely paranoid," Maron muffled under a cough as she walked past the two of them. "I guess this is where I leave, huh? I'll just buy myself a new ship and set sail," she winked at Vegeta, "I'll see _you_ later." She scowled at Bulma before turning around and continuing her walk ahead of them. Why did it even matter anyway? She was going to the same town as them. Bulma rolled her eyes at the girl's senseless absurdity.

"I don't think so," Vegeta said, making the aquamarine turn her head over her left shoulder top look at him with curiously. Bulma felt that same urge to strangle her again. Did she honestly believe that there was any chance in the world that Vegeta would call her back because he _wanted_ her here? _What an idiot,_ she thought, mentally laughing. If he wanted anything, it was to rid the two of them of her pathetic whining and uselessness.

"What is it?" Maron asked. More like _sang_ …

"I think I want you where I can see you," he said harshly, earning himself an aquamarine pout.

"Of _course_ ," she mocked, realizing that he wasn't trying to flirt.

Vegeta made a satisfied noise and continued walking slowly until he and Bulma were past Maron and she was walking behind them. Bulma had second thoughts about having Maron behind her. She didn't want to have her back turned to her at any time, but she guessed that the aquamarine couldn't really do anything with Vegeta standing right there. Having his back turned to her wasn't a problem in the slightest. She couldn't do anything to him without him knowing. Probably even before she knew she was going to do it herself…

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"Here," Vegeta said, pointing to a large building. The three of them were standing in the middle of a relatively large town. The walk hadn't been that long. It had only been a few miles or so. The weather was nice for a walk as well. It wasn't cold enough to need a jacket, but it wasn't warm enough to feel like you needed water to survive at the end of the arduous trek through the deserts of nowhere.

"Looking for a place to stay?" a voice called from behind them. Maron was the first to turn around.

"Yes," the aquamarine replied, and Bulma turned to see why she was so eager. A blonde boy, pretty cute if she was allowed to think that while Vegeta was standing right there, was walking directly towards them. Bulma paid careful attention to what Maron planned on doing. Other than flirting. That was a given. "We were going to stay in this hotel," she motioned to the building that Vegeta had pointed out only moments ago.

"I don't think it's vacant. The last room was given to an elderly couple last night. But if you'd like, you could come stay in my house instead. I rent out rooms to travellers… Where are you three from anyway—"

"Get out of my way," Vegeta said, pushing the blonde boy to the left, almost knocking him over in the process. He then walked down the street. Bulma raised an eyebrow at Maron when she showed no intention of leaving the blonde boy's side. She shrugged and ran after her guardian angel.

"Vegeta, wait up," she called, catching up to him. "Where are we going?"

"To meet up with someone."

"Who?" she panted.

"The Emperor of Trigone."

"Wait, who?"

"If he's still alive, that is. He _was_ a bit old by the time I left here."

"How old were you when you came to this planet?"

"Nine, I think. Why?"

"No reason," she mumbled, hiding the shock in her voice and her expression from being detected. The first thought that raced through her mind was the fact that he had told her that he had been with many women on this planet. But at nine years old… That was a bit hard to swallow. She came to the hopeful conclusion that he was just too prideful to tell her anything different than the absurd claim that she had just heard him make.

Vegeta turned his head at the notion that their little conversation was just about over. It was very possible that the Emperor had died while he was away. And as far as he knew, the old man didn't have a son to take his place. And without an heir to the throne… Then who was currently in charge? It would have to be someone well-liked and respected for the population to agree to whoever's rule Trigone was now under. And by the looks of how run-down the city looked, either the new Emperor wasn't doing his job, or the planet no longer had a ruler to command it.

He smirked. He could change that little fact in a split second. Then he frowned. If he took control, he would have to be here often, and there was something he wouldn't do for anything in the world. He didn't like this planet to begin with. There was no way in hell that he was going to spend his valuable time on such a garbage heap. He'd be damned… Maybe he would give it to someone else. Maybe his woman would appreciate a gift… No, because that would mean that he would have to come often to visit her on this goddamn planet anyway. That didn't help his cause at all. Who else was there to give it to? He didn't really like anyone enough to give them control over a planet unless it was part of some scheme to embarrass the person in front of someone else, or even for his own filthy amusement.

He could always let the people on the planet decide without his help. That seemed like the right choice to make. He wouldn't even have to do anything. And he certainly wouldn't have to make frequent visits unless he really wanted something from them. The only problem was that if he wanted something, he would have to do what he did to the old Emperor to the new one, and that took way too much work on his part. He knew he could always destroy the people and sell the planet for money. It was suitable for most species. In fact, even fragile Earthlings could survive on it, so that could mean that it was suitable for anyone.

He turned his head to the aqua-haired female beside him, once again, unluckily reminded of how fragile she was. Of how easily she could break because of what she was. Frieza's most pathetic warrior could look like the most powerful being in the universe if he fought with her. Just thinking of the things people could do to her if he wasn't around for even a split second made his blood boil to a dangerous level. Why did he even bring her along? Out in the middle of the universe, if it _had_ a middle that is, was a deathtrap for an Earthling female such as her.

The reason why flashed through his mind.

Frieza.

This was all that homosexual lizard's fault. He put _his_ woman in danger, and he wouldn't take lightly to that when he met up with the bastard sometime in the near future. He then thought back to those two pods that had been following them. He knew that they hadn't landed on the planet's surface yet, because he would have felt their energy signals. Frieza's wimpy excuses for warriors couldn't mask their energy signals like he could. He was better than them. _All_ of them.

But he didn't believe that they weren't a threat just yet. There was something about them that made his hairs stand on end. Especially because the next two members of the fucking Ginyu force never travelled alone…


	26. Look-Alike

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Look-Alike**

"If you need anything, just…" Vegeta stopped mid-statement. He quickly realized that his woman couldn't just call out for him when he was training back at the space pod. He wouldn't be able to hear her. She couldn't really do anything but get nervous to gather his attention anyway. The only thing that would make him realize that she needed him was a penetrating aura of some sort along the lines of fear or anger. Or something in the middle. It didn't matter. As long as he could feel her.

At the thought of feeling her emotions, another thought popped into his head. He hadn't been very responsive to her because of that aquamarine bitch being around. He knew she would never admit it to herself, or _him_ for that matter, she felt somewhat uncomfortable around the other female. Especially with him. He couldn't blame her. He was tempting to many other females, no matter which species it was. He was a Saiyan Prince for crying out loud! Any females would be attracted to him. It was expected. He did feel a little bad about making her feel like he could so easily leave her. Oh, how impossibly difficult that would be, despite how much he sometimes wanted to make himself believe otherwise.

There was just no possibility that he could ever desire anyone any more than he desired her. Especially when his options were, _shiver_ , the aquamarine. Sure, she had a body to be admired, but she wasn't intelligent, and he couldn't handle being with someone like that for more than one or two nights. But that was it. He had his full of her over the past couple days and he had no idea how happy it would make him when she was finally gone. He now knew that it was beyond happiness to be rid of her.

"Just _what_ , Vegeta?" Bulma asked turning away from him and bending down to see if the brown mark on the carpeting was food or a stain.

Yup. She was definitely upset with him. It was okay, though. He could fix that with a few gestures or so. He leaned in the doorway, watching her inspect her new hotel room. He guessed that she was happy with the news that she no longer had to share it with the aquamarine. Maybe her annoyance with him was just overpowering that. Fine then.

"Never mind."

She didn't respond. She just continued looking over her new room for the next seven or eight hours. She seemed more occupied with stains and watermarks than him. He didn't like that one bit.

"So," he began, trying to get her to face him instead of the goddamn stains. She didn't. "She's gone."

"So?" She still wasn't looking at him. Did he really make her that upset? He didn't mean it. He didn't even know she cared that much. Well, of course he _knew_ … But he didn't know exactly how _much_. It did bring his spirits up a little, knowing how much she desired him. It was almost as much as he desired her… almost.

"So, woman, we're finally alone," he said seductively.

He smirked when she turned around. That seemed to gather her attention quite nicely. But then he frowned when she looked upset again.

"If you're just going to ignore me again, Vegeta," she cried, "Don't. Just _don't_ , okay? I'm not in the mood. I just want to get some sleep, and I don't have time to deal with your mood swings right now. Just go train, okay. I'll be fine, for all the good it'll do me."

"Or me," he growled in response.

"Excuse me?"

"I know your selfish thoughts are focused on _you_ at this moment, woman, but try to remember that you being fine will do _me_ some good as well."

"What, you back to normal already?" she asked sarcastically. Vegeta folded his arms and pushed himself off the white-painted doorframe. He walked into the suite and kicked the door shut behind him, a firm scowl placed on his face. Without giving her time to respond, he grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her onto the couch behind her. He silently wondered if she cared about the stain just then. He mentally shrugged and got atop of her, straddling her hips. He felt it when she locked up, clearly not expecting his oncoming attack on her. He smirked and pushed his face closer to hers, making sure she could feel him breathing on her. He made sure she could smell him, inhale his scent.

"I guess I am," he finally replied.

"What are you doing, Vegeta?" the female breathed, "Get off me."

"Why should I?" he asked mockingly, proving that he could keep her there for as long as he pleased.

"Because I don't want you on top of me, and you're going to do what I tell you."

"What makes you think I'd ever do something like that, woman?" he asked, pushing his hips into her. She let out a low growl and he lifted his eyebrows at her. He never knew she did that.

"Because I don't want you to," she repeated influentially.

"You're no fun," he laughed, pushing his lips into hers and roughly moving his tongue over her bottom lip. He dragged it into his mouth and let his teeth grapple at it as his tongue moved to her upper lip, caressing it harshly. He knew he was winning when the female exhaled into him with staggered breath. She tasted just like last time, if he remembered correctly.

"Cut it out," she whined, pushing against his chest.

"Why?" he played along. When she moved her head to one side separating their lips, he knew something was wrong. He paused, lifting his head up a bit, wanting to know what was upsetting her so much.

"Because, Vegeta!" she breathed, "Last time you did this was _before_ you sent me to the hospital! Or have you forgotten already?!"

He paused, realizing that she was right. But why did it matter? He had apologized about that already. What more did he want from her? He even buried that pathetic excuse for an Earthling male just so she would be satisfied after he was killed by the last Ginyu Force member.

Although he didn't want to admit it, though, her statement had hurt him a little more than they both had meant it to. At least she got what she wanted. He got off of her and headed for the door.

"Vegeta, wait—"

"I'll be back in seven hours," he said simply, and without another word, he was gone, leaving Bulma to her own egotistical thoughts.

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After a couple hours had passed by, Bulma decided to force herself to get some sleep. The bed was big and comfy, and it looked very inviting, but it hadn't held any form of interest for her for the previous time she spent in the room. She felt horrible. Hadn't Vegeta been about to give her what she had been telling herself that she had wanted ever since Maron was with them? And just when he was prepared to give it to her, she had mercilessly pushed him away with the comment that was probably the last thing he wanted to hear out of her.

Why had she done that? Out of all the things she could have done, why that? The only thing she could think of was that she wanted to make him feel as bad as he had made her feel over the past week or so. He didn't have a valid explanation for ignoring her and pushing her away, so she didn't need a reason either. It was fair, wasn't it?

She felt bad, but he felt nothing. It was and even trade…

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Vegeta stopped when he heard something snap. At first, he didn't notice the pain, but then it flooded into him with full force. Something had gone wrong and his leg must have twisted the wrong way. The gravity was on two hundred times Earth's normal gravitational force, so getting injured was part of the training. All he would have to do was heal for an hour or so and then jump right back into what he had been doing before the unwanted interruption.

He hated doing it, but he limped over to the controls and set the gravity back to normal. He then leaned up against the middle frame and slid down to the cold ground to rest. Now that he wasn't moving, the pain was coming ever stronger. Maybe it was the bone… That would suck. Then he would need actual medical attention. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. Showing the pathetic inhabitants of Planet Trigone that he was weak and injured was a serious offense in his book. Especially if he had to tell their doctors and nurses. He'd be damned…

He gripped his upper leg and squeezed a bit, inhaling sharply at the burst of agony. He swiftly let go of it. If his woman was with him, he wouldn't have to worry about anything. And he didn't just mean having to worry about her safety. He also meant that, if she wasn't so angry of god knew what, she might have helped him if she had been with him now. He pushed the thought aside, knowing that she wasn't coming because it had only been a couple hours and she wouldn't want to stop by after their last engagement unless he was over his time by at least two or three hours. He supposed that he could just sit there and wait, but that was stupid. He didn't wait for people to come to him. That was absurd. A Saiyan Prince, waiting on others. It was utterly ridiculous. It was so ridiculous that he found himself openly laughing at the idea of it.

What else could he do? He could try and continue training, but the slowly decreasing amount of pain was enticing, so he didn't want to chance moving. He figured that he could always just get up and slowly walk back to the female's suite and meet up with her there. But then he'd probably be forced to go to the shitty doctors and nurses anyway. If only this dirtball of a planet had a regeneration machine. It would be so much easier for him that way.

Most of him was saying to just hang around until his woman got worried enough to stop by for a visit. Then they could go to a planet where he would feel more comfortable healing his leg.

He reached up and hit the button to unlock the door so that his woman could get in from the outside and leaned his head back. He shut his eyes, feeling that he should get some sleep if he was going to be here for a while.

Blackness enveloped him.

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Bulma got out of bed and looked at the clock. She had only been asleep for forty-five minutes, but it felt like she had been out for over three hours, or somewhere around that time. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up slowly, her vision a bit blurry from standing. She wobbled her way over to her bag that she had taken with her and pulled out a round piece of metal with a screen in the front.

She stared at it for a moment, wondering why she hadn't mentioned the device to Vegeta beforehand. She guessed that she knew she'd need something to do later on, and spying was a perfect form of entertainment.

If Vegeta really was ignoring her before only because of Maron, then she was fully prepared to accept that. She truly had no reason for her previous actions. It was unexplainable in her eyes. Just one of those things that she did for no reason whatsoever.

Bulma twisted the tiny piece of plastic on the top of the device and heard a click, signifying that it had turned on. The small screen was attached to a barely visible camera in the Capsule Corporation space pod, and if she chose to use it, she could be portrayed on a larger screen in the pod as well. But the controls for everything involving communication was all on the device she delicately held in her hand. She tuned the controls and found that the camera in the pod was facing the wrong way. All she could see on her screen was the metal paneled wall. She moved the analog stick to the right to readjust the camera and its focus until she could clearly see Vegeta's form. She noticed that he was still. Focusing the camera's lenses even more, she noticed that he was sitting down against the middle console.

Bulma sighed at her luck. She caught him while he was taking a nap. How convenient. Wasn't he supposed to be training, anyway? What was he doing on the floor? She was tempted to turn on the screen in the pod just to startle him and tell him to get back to work, but she decided that she had a better idea. She would need an approach that wouldn't get him angry. But what?

And then she found her ticket. He moved his leg and winced. She quickly realized that he was remaining on the floor because he was injured, but he must have fallen asleep as well because his eyes were gently shut and his breathing was even with the slow rise and fall of his chest.

She immediately turned on the camera and the screen in the space pod.

"Vegeta!" she called, getting the feeling that she might sound a little too pushy about the subject matter to him. "Vegeta, are you alright?"

When his eyes finally opened and he saw the screen in the pod, Bulma managed to catch a glimpse of surprise in his expression before he wiped it away, leaving no trace that he was ever shocked about anything.

"What are you doing, woman?" he asked, a bit angry with her. He sat up straight because he didn't want to chance standing up. "And how the hell did you put this thing in here without me noticing?" He obviously didn't feel that it was possible for her to do something without him noticing. Bulma rolled her eyes dramatically at his question.

"You think I can't do something without you noticing?" She knew it was the wrong thing to ask, but she couldn't help herself.

"Don't play games with me, woman. It's impossible."

"And why would that be, _man_?"

He huffed at her comment. "Because, I make a point of watching you 24/ 7. So don't try to convince me that I can't tell when you're doing something. I know when you're asleep. I know when you go somewhere. I know who you've talked to. I know what you're feeling. And I would know if you had the time to implant a communications system in our space pod." He paused. "And you didn't."

"Very clever, all-knowing Saiyan Prince," she said sarcastically, "Maybe that's because it _came_ like that."

Vegeta folded his arms. "Obviously."

"Do you need any help over there? I can stop by if you want."

"I'm fine, woman. I just need a little rest, that's all. I'll be up in less than an hour… and don't even think about turning this goddamn thing on while I'm training."

"What? Are you embarrassed?" she asked, failing to hide her amusement.

"Don't be stupid."

"Whatever. Well, I'm coming down now to check on you and if I judge that you're okay, then I'll leave. Got it?"

"You are _not_ ," he said. His voice was firm and demanding.

"Yes I am," she replied defiantly.

"No you're not, woman!"

"Why?"

"You can't determine the physical limitations or judge the condition of a Saiyan! You're an _Earthling_. You don't know what Saiyans can handle."

"That may be true, but I can determine the physical limitations and judge the condition of _you_ , Vegeta."

"What makes you think you can do something like that?"

"Because, Vegeta… I… I lo— What was _that_?" she quickly added.

A loud bang came from the door in the space pod and Vegeta looked over at it. The first thought that came to mind was the Ginyu Force members that he had been fearing ever since those two pods started following them over three days ago, but the energy signal from behind the metal door was small and insignificant. Not to mention that it revealed only one person outside of the pod. He let his body relax a little.

"Hang on. I'll be right there, okay?" Bulma said, and before Vegeta could yell at her to stay where she was, the screen was turned off and she was already gone.

"Vegeta!" a high pitched voice called as the door slowly moved to an open stance. When he sensed the presence of the aquamarine, he instantly regretted leaving the door open to anyone on the outside. He had completely forgotten that the idiot was still on the stupid planet with him and his woman.

"Oh, great," he said flatly, "Look what the cat dragged in." He rolled his eyes.

"Now don't be like that. I came here to give you a present."

"I don't want it."

"You don't know what it is, so you couldn't possibly know if you want it or not. Don't be silly."

"Get out of here."

"But I just got here." She was playing with him. Vegeta felt his insides boil. Her whiny tone was starting to make his nerves go haywire.

"And now you're leaving."

"Says who?"

"Who do you think?" he snarled.

" _You_? I doubt that."

"I wouldn't."

"Well, I'm not you."

"Thank the non-existent God!"

Maron puffed and strode over to him. She noticed how his muscles tensed up as she came closer. She knew immediately that something was wrong with him… And she jumped on the opportunity.

"Thank whoever you want. I'm grateful as well."

"Good for you. Now get out."

"Do you want to know why I'm grateful that I'm not you, Vegeta?"

" _No_."

"It's because I wouldn't want to have to deal with the things I'm going to do to you. I would hate it if I were you. Trust me."

"I wouldn't trust you with anything. And what makes you think that you could do anything to me? Have you forgotten what happened last time, or should I show you again?"

No ounce of fear or angst crossed the aquamarine's face. She only smiled down at him. Vegeta understood the message quite well.

"Do you remember that blonde boy I went off with?"

"Shut up and leave, Maron," he threatened, and the aquamarine was surprised at the casual use of her name, instead of the usual insult. "Before I decide to get angry."

"Well, he was such a sweetheart, let me tell you. I told him all about how you and your little bitch were so mean to me. And you know what he did? He hugged me and told me that everything was going to be okay. Then he followed you to that motel and found out which room your little bitch was staying at and he promised me that if I came here to distract you, then he'd take care of her for me. But it looks like I don't really have to distract you because you've gone and hurt yourself!" she laughed.

Vegeta could hear his blood pounding in his ears. He didn't care about his leg. He'd slice it off if need be just to rid himself of the disease standing in front of him. And then he felt something that he never thought he'd be happy about sensing. He knew who it was. He knew who _they_ were…

"You're really an idiot. You know that right?"

"Once again, you're over-inflated ego gets in the way. Don't you realize it yet? Your so-called mate is going to get murdered by a boy I barely know who just decided that he'd help me out of the kindness in his heart. I bet my life that you'd never do that for anyone."

"Only one, actually." He smirked.

"Well this boy is special—"

"How many times did you whore for him?"

"Excuse me?!" she bellowed.

"I can smell him all over you. It's putrid. It's _disgusting_. In fact, you're making me _sick_."

Maron, fists at her sides, dropped her jaw.

"That is _it_! I've been very patient with you, but you leave me no choice!"

"Whatever you say, bitch," he shrugged, closing his eyes. But he soon opened them when he felt the pain in his leg increase tenfold. His eyes opened and darted around the room in an anguished daze. When he found his bearings, he glared at the aquamarine with pure hatred. She didn't even seem fazed by his glower of daggers, but he didn't mind. If she didn't understand mental messages, then he'd just have to show her something physical.

Maron removed her fist from the Saiyan's leg, happy with the results of what a "pathetic Earthling" could do to the Saiyan Prince. She slid her hand over his bare stomach and he threateningly hissed at her. She wondered why he didn't move though. There was nothing wrong with his arms or hands. She smiled devilishly.

"I always knew you wanted me more than that Capsule Corporation freak. She's too good for you, and you know it. That's why, when you saw me for the first time… You knew from the start that I was your girl." She leaned down and slid her hand farther until she reached his blue spandex. Then she reached under until she heard him growl. She giggled at the throaty noise emanating from deep in his chest.

And then he felt them. Two of them. They were both coming. He just hoped that they would be gone by the time the aqua-haired female reached the pod. And by the time that blonde bastard reached her. He had no doubt in his mind that the female that was now erecting herself over the top of him could make a weak male do anything for an hour or so in bed. Just by her presence he could tell that she was good. She was better than good. If he could describe an expert, she would be it. But she did it for the wrong reasons. Not like he was any better, but his woman was. That's what made her. That's why he found her intriguing. Why he was drawn to her like a paperclip to a magnet.

They were right there. If he was going to do this, he had to do it now… and he had to do it _right_.

He flipped himself over with a painful grunt and positioned himself over the aquamarine bitch. The other male's stench made him want to barf, but he settled for holding his breath instead. Now that he was so close, he could smell other males. Different species, even. It was made him choke. Even _he_ never smelled that bad after being with a female or two.

"Scream for me," he breathed seductively, leaning into her with all his weight. "I want to hear you scream my name."

"I always knew you wanted this," she said softly, licking his ear. "I always knew you were a bad boy." She let her hands roam down to the front of his pants again and Vegeta seriously felt like he was going to throw up. He knew that he had been joking with himself about it before, but now he had to hold it back so as not to ruin anything.

And then it happened. He felt them right next to him. A sharp pain hit his side and Maron was ripped out from under him.

"Guess 'hoo, Vegeta-baby? I's _us_!"

"I've got the girl, Jiece. Let's go."

"Wait, Burter. I got somethin' ta tell our little frien' 'ere. How ya been, Vegeta? Doin' well, my frien'? Sorry 'bout havin' ta take ya little girl 'here. Boss just gives us the orders. We just gotta follow 'em, ya know?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm. It sounded like he might have been able to drown in it if it became possible.

"Let her go," he commanded authoritivly, overreacting a bit as he clutched his stomach in mock-agony. He rolled over, trying to lift his face up so he could look at the two of them, but let his head relax on the cool floor below him.

"I don't think so, Vegeta," Burter hissed, stepping towards the door, Maron under one arm. Her delicate fists pounded against the blue freak's back and Vegeta guessed that it probably felt like bodywork that no one would ever bother paying for.

"Vegeta! Tell them to let me go!" Maron yelled, and Vegeta lifted an eyebrow, seeing as he just told them that. She really was an idiot. He mentally shrugged. She was getting her just desserts. She deserved whatever Frieza planned on doing with her. He didn't doubt the plans that were in store for her.

Burter and Jiece made their way out of the space pod. Jiece turned away to wave to Vegeta and he noticed the scared and confused expression on Maron's face. He stuck out one hand and made his voice sound like he was in pain from the kick to his stomach.

"No! _Bulma_!" he screamed, watching as they exited his line of sight.

And then he threw up.


	27. Saved

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Saved**

Bulma made her way down the stairs and headed out the motel's front doors. She didn't know why she wasn't rushing to reach her guardian angel. Something inside her just seemed to say that it was all right if she didn't panic and race to see if he was okay. And she knew that he was. Maybe that was why she was so calm. In any other situation, she would have jumped at the opportunity to help Vegeta, but this time seemed different. All the other times seemed distant to her. Like memories long forgotten.

It also made her feel like "Vegeta and Bulma" wasn't just another couple. It made her feel like she had something that no one else in the world could fathom. It made her feel like Vegeta was _more_. More than what… she didn't know. All she knew was that he was. And that was it.

Making her way down the street, she made sure to stay around people. She walked along the sidewalk with the rest of the crowd and kept her head low. The last thing she wanted was for someone to notice her. Someone that _wanted_ to notice her. She was still wary of the two pods that had been following them and Vegeta's unhesitant warning to her about them. She would admit it: Without Vegeta by her side, she was more likely to be a walking corpse than herself. And in more ways than one.

It seemed silly, though. No one even paid her any attention. Some glanced, but it was nothing dramatic or personal. It was just a glance and nothing more. All the men kept their eyes on her face, even if it was only for a second. She felt comfortable. She checked behind her back a couple times to see if anyone was following her, but neither of the times had she recognized anyone worth fretting over.

The entire surface of the planet was like a desert. There were no trees or grass or anything green even. The shops and houses were all made of either stone or melded sand. There were no closed windows, which was a surprise to Bulma. She guessed that maybe the people didn't know how to make glass. Or they just could afford to make it. Most of the doors were made of the same material as the buildings they were hinged to. There was no form of expertise manpower, so she guessed that many inhabitants were craft builders or just builders in general.

Overall, Bulma liked this planet. It was nothing like Earth, despite the fact that the planet's species looked about the same as Earth's inhabitants. But the people acted different. It was like she had gone back in time on her own home-planet. Gentlemen held doors open for the women who passed by. Young men tipped their hats. Some even took them off for the ladies. No one looked at the inappropriate places that Bulma had been aware of. It was unusual, having people act like they cared for one another. Heck, maybe they really did. It was as if everybody was everybody else's neighbor.

And then she saw someone she thought she recognized. It was the blonde boy that Maron had run off with the last time she had seen her. But it appeared that the boy had sent the bitch away. It didn't come as a surprise to her. She would have done the same thing as him. She _did_ do the same exact thing as him, even if it was a bit indirect.

He was walking in her direction. He wore a tight white workout shirt and dark blue jeans. She turned and headed towards him, seeing as she was his destination and trying not to be rude.

"Hey," she said, waving a hand at him as she got closer, "I see you ditched my best friend," she added sarcastically. The blonde boy chuckled at her comment.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "All she kind of wanted was sex, believe it or not."

"I believe it, all right." Bulma rolled her eyes in amusement. "What's your name?"

"Sharpner. What's yours?"

"Bulma Briefs. Pleasure to meet you," she replied holding out her hand for him to shake. She then regretted not making an alias. She hoped that he didn't know her name. It wasn't the first name that she worried about. It was her last name. People all over knew her title because her father travelled around a lot to deliver and purchase mechanical equipment for the company. And some people didn't like him very much because of the outrageous prices for expensive equipment…

"The pleasure is mine," he smirked, taking her hand and gently kissing the back of it. Bulma felt herself blush. "Briefs… Capsule Corporation, correct?"

"Umm, that's right," she answered shyly. At least the nervousness wasn't showing through her self-made mask.

"My parents get deliveries all the time. You really help my family out a lot. Thanks." He shrugged.

"Oh." Bulma mentally sighed and sank to the ground. "You're very welcome."

"Would you mind taking a walk with me?"

Just then, Bulma remembered Vegeta. She was supposed to get to him. If she didn't hurry now, he would get worried, and a worried Vegeta wasn't a friendly Vegeta. Especially if he found that the reason for her delay was a pretty blonde boy. He would be dead in a flash.

"I'm so sorry, but I have somewhere to be right now. I completely forgot. You distracted me. I'll see you around, though, okay?" she said with a smile, turning back to the crowd and heading in the direction she was going before. Her arm was caught and she was gently turned around.

"Let me take you there," Sharpner offered, although it sounded more like a command to Bulma. Plus, the last thing she wanted was to have to explain Vegeta to someone. And there wouldn't be a point for him to go unless he had a desperate wish to be castrated by the Saiyan Prince himself.

"You really shouldn't," she replied, noticing that he wasn't letting go of her arm. "Can I go now?" she asked, using a harsher tone than before. She now realized what the boy wanted. It was clear in his eyes now. He didn't care what her name was. He probably never even ordered anything from her company before. She never helped his family. And he definitely didn't want to take a walk with her. No, he wanted something else. And Bulma could only take a wild guess at what it was.

"I'm not interested in fooling around with you. If you want a bedmate, go back to Maron," she spat, seeing the flash in the boy's eyes. He wasn't looking at her face anymore… Every planet has its faults.

"I already have," he sneered. His face twisted into a distorted smile. Like something evil that you would only see in movies. "And I did it for a reason, too." He took a step towards her and Bulma back away a few paces. Then she turned and ran.

Knocking people over as she raced along the sidewalk, the only thing she could think of was to get to Vegeta and the space pod before the blonde boy got to her first. But she knew that she was only good for short bursts of energy. Bulma Briefs was many things, but a cross-country runner was _not_ one of them. Hopefully, Sharpner was a lazy bum who sat in front of his television set all day eating chips and drinking soda. She knew her hopes were in vain when she painstakingly remembered his muscular arms and tight white shirt, exposing his tight abs. The blonde boy worked out. It was as clear as day. The only question was: How long could she outrun him?

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Vegeta stayed on the tiled floor for about five minutes before he knew that the three of them were really gone. If they had come back to find him up and about, completely unchanged by them taking his "cloned mate", then they would know that something was wrong. So he stayed where he was, continuing to look like he was in uncontrollable pain. Sure, his leg hurt a bit, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He could probably stand up without a problem.

As soon as he knew that they weren't coming back, he grabbed hold of the counter of the center control panel and hauled himself up. He hadn't forgotten Maron's warning about the blonde bastard trying to bring harm to his woman. Telling him was probably the last mistake she would ever make, knowing how Freiza would be angry at the fact that his precious Ginyu Force brought him the wrong female. He chuckled devilishly. The aquamarine would have a very slow and painful death indeed.

He forced himself to walk to the other side of the space pod and shut the door on his way out. Even in his current condition, he could destroy the entire planet if he felt like it. One little blonde boy wasn't even worth his invaluable time. But if he even _touched_ her… There was no escape for him. Only death would end his suffering, and Vegeta would grant him that much… slowly. He smiled devilishly once again at his own vile and yet entertaining thoughts of violence and torture. He wondered if he might actually do something as horrible as what he was thinking to the boy if he laid a hand on his woman as he walked towards her energy signal. His first thought was maybe, but instantly changed to of course. He thought about the aqua-haired female dying because he didn't make it to her in time. What would he do then?

Of all the things in the world, why did this one have to cross his mind? What _would_ he do if his woman was killed? He had no idea. He would still go after Freiza. That was obvious. But, if he survived, what would he do afterwards? Take control of a few planets and have everything his heart desired? No, that would be impossible. If she was gone… he could never have everything his heart desired.

What was he saying?! That his heart desired the female? That was outrageous. What could have possessed him to think such ridiculously humiliating things? He would miss her. But that would be it. if she was gone, then he could go back to his old life of fucking any female that crossed his path. He would have been able to kill that aquamarine, Maron. But as he thought about these things, they didn't even give him the slightest hint of pleasure. The fact that he hadn't killed the aquamarine proved to save the female's life only a few minutes ago. And if he desires other women while she was still alive the way he thought he would have, then there was something seriously wrong with him.

But he didn't desire any others. That was the part that baffled him. Since he first met the aqua-haired female, he had seen an exotic variety of females on her planet, some of which he had never seen in his entire life. Their scents would have been erotic to him… but they weren't. When he laid eyes on them, he must have snorted or something at the fact that he would have thought that they were worthy of him bedding them in the past. He hadn't realized it back then, but it was currently at the forefront of his mind. Even when he wouldn't admit that she was his woman in the past, his body had changed in means of reacting to other females. After he left the hospital, when he had paid those other females to distract him from what he had done, he noticed how their scents repulsed him. It hadn't been because the scent was a bad one, because it certainly hadn't been. It was just that the scent wasn't the one that he had been looking for. A distraction wasn't good enough unless it was perfect. And perfect was his woman…

Who was now giving off a very distressed energy signal.

She wasn't far away now. Maybe around the next couple corners and he would find her. His blood boiled when he smelled the blonde boy from before. And his scent was wafting way too much for him to have any clothes covering the stinking parts of his body. His woman must have had some of her clothes removed as well because her scent got a bit stronger as he rounded the first corner.

And then he smelled blood… _Her_ blood.

Ignoring all the pain in his leg, he pushed off the brick wall he was helping himself stand by leaning on and raced around the final corner. The sight that entered his vision made him want to do two things. The first was vomit. The second was to brutally grind the blonde's face into the brick wall to his right. He decided to go with the latter decision, seeing as he already threw up when finally got some fresh air in his lungs instead of the bitch's disgusting odor that had been pouring over him for far too long. The fresh air had been such a shock to him that his body, he guessed, just couldn't handle it as fast as it had come to him.

The aqua-haired female's shirt flittered to the ground. Vegeta watched it in slow motion. Then she let out a high-pitched screech when the blonde boy touched her left breast. Vegeta was instantly moving. He gripped the boy by the back of his neck and forcefully lifted him off of his woman, tearing out a few hairs as he did so. The boy yelped when he felt the blood trickle down his neck and watched with wide eyes as it trailed down the front of his chin and puddled on the ground below his face. Vegeta would have let him watch it happen for a few moments, but even he wasn't that patient at the moment.

He tore his fingers along the boy's back as if they were sharp knives. They certainly cut him as if. His bare flesh felt good on Vegeta's fingertips and he hungered to spill more of his prey's blood on himself. He wanted to look like he had murdered someone. He wanted everyone to know what would happen to them if they ever tried to harm his female or take her against her will.

The blonde boy screamed, earning him the attention of a few passersby. They turned in stunned silence to watch the show. Vegeta mentally heard himself let out a malicious chuckle. His eyes quickly wandered to his woman, who was crying on the ground, trying desperately to cover herself up because of the people now staring at her. Her embarrassment and fear was evident in her energy. Vegeta could feel her anxiety spike. It was too much for even him to handle.

"Get out of here!" he bellowed to the warily watching audience. They swiftly scurried away from him, his woman, and the bloody mess dangling from his hands. He realized that his grip had been so tight that he was holding the boy's neck and his feet weren't touching the ground. He couldn't tell if he had broken the windpipe or not in his anger. Everything just looked so… red.

He let go of his neck and punched him in the gut. But the boy just fell limply to the ground.

"Get up!" he snarled, kicking him in the side so that he rolled over until his back slammed into the brick wall of a small shop to his right. "I'm not finished with you!"

He knew very well from the lack of an energy signal that the boy was dead, but his anger hadn't been purged just yet. And there was no way he was going to turn and face his frightened woman while he wasn't in total control. He grabbed the dead boy by the skin on his upper chest. His intent was to lift him off the ground, but when his fist tightened and the skin ripped off, he was equally satisfied. A brand new pool of blood appeared on the ground and he couldn't help but let out a snort. This boy had a lot more blood in him than he originally thought.

He gripped the dangling head by the blonde hair that was no infused with dark red blood, making it a bright shade of pink. He ripped the hair off slowly, until he could see the white of the skull. Then he tore off the rest of the unwanted skin and gripped the head by the back again. He smashed it into the wall with all his force. The skull shattered, pieces of bone flinging towards the ground. He paused when he heard the aqua-haired female yelp behind him. He turned to find her clutching at her arm. A little drop of blood was dripping down her lower arm and a sharp, thick piece of white bone was lying next to her.

Vegeta instantly dropped the mangled body of the blonde boy and walked over to the weeping female. He felt her fear go down a bit as he approached and cocked an eyebrow. Even after witnessing what he had done to the boy even after he was long dead, she still felt relief when he was near her. He let out a mental sigh at how easily she accepted some of the things that he did without a second thought.

"Ve…" she hiccupped, and Vegeta leaned down next to her, gently grabbing her arm and lifting it to see the damage. It was nothing serious, so he looked up at her face. He cradled her face in one hand, wiping away some of her tears with his thumb as he analyzed the rest of her. He stood up once to get her shirt, and was right back at her side. Her jeans were still on, but the button and zipper were both undone, so he knew that she had been violated anyway. He forced himself to suppress the new wave of anger coming to surge throughout his entire form. The boy was long dead. There was nothing else to be done. It was over.

The female didn't move, so he slid the V-neck t-shirt over her head for her. She put her arms through the small sleeves and began to move on her own. He stood and held out his hand, but she didn't take it, seeing as her eyes were fixed on the ground below her, watching as her tears hit the ground and her pants, creating little damp, dark spots wherever they decided to land.

Vegeta leaned down again and she looked up at him with pink, puffy eyes. He wondered how it was possible that he had to choose a mate that could be so easily influenced by such a low-life child such as the blond boy that Maron had sent after her. She could be so easily damaged by people that couldn't even bruise him with their hardest punch. In the blonde boy's case, he would have broken his own hand in trying to punch a Saiyan. It was pathetic. But his woman could be hurt, no, _killed_ , by almost every species that he could think of. It was pure irony that he had to desire her above any others. Irony that he knew might kill her one day. If he wasn't careful, she could die. If he had gotten himself hurt by those two idiots from the Ginyu Force, he wouldn't have made it to her in time and the blonde boy would have killed her.

He violently shook his head, clenching his teeth. He had to stop thinking about that, otherwise he'd end up hurting someone else who didn't deserve it. He had to keep his anger at a low simmer at the most.

"Vegeta…" she whimpered, no longer crying. She wiped her face with the back of her arm. "I'm so sorry."

"What are you apologizing for, woman? You almost got yourself killed this time," he replied, accidentally letting some of his anger out as he spoke. He leaned forward and grabbed her under her arms, lifting her off the ground as he stood. He let her feet touch back down, but held her tightly to him, not wanting to chance her legs giving out beneath her. He didn't want her falling and hurting herself even more than she already was on his conscience.

"It was Maron, Vegeta. Maron told him that I… He said that you—"

"Stop it," he said fiercely, seeing as whatever the boy had told her had made her extremely worried and upset. Her tears began to openly flow once again and her legs gave out, making him glad that he had thought of holding her upright before it had actually happened.

He lifted her off the ground and headed for the skies. When he spotted the space pod a mile or two away from the edge of the town, he flew off, very aware that his life was in his arms, clutching tightly to him.


	28. Back Together

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Back Together**

Bulma opened her eyes to come face-to-face with Vegeta's hard, muscle-covered chest pressed up against her cheek. His hand was gently holding her face against him. She sighed with relief, breathing in his delicious scent. She stretched inward, clutching tighter to his blue spandex shirt and pressing the side of her face into him even more. Her legs and abs also curled in and she felt him have to adjust the way he was holding her to be more comfortable.

"Awake already?" he said gently, not wanting to set her off with anything funny. She seemed like she was in the mood to have either a crying fit or and angry yelling rant. He thanked the non-existent gods when he realized that he was wrong.

Bulma couldn't help but smile against his chest. This was the man that had saved her for the umpteenth time. This was the man that cared deeply for her, even if he didn't always express it in the most convenient of ways. And this was the man that she was helplessly in love with. She involuntary curled inward even tighter and she felt him let out an aggravated breathe as he readjusted his grip on her once again so that she wouldn't fall.

Bulma was a bit baffled by the fact that her face wouldn't get any closer to Vegeta. She pushed harder up against him, but was met by a lack of open space. She didn't care though. She wanted to break the rules of the universe and be closer to him than humanly, and Saiyanly, possible.

They landed. Bulma could tell by the short but bouncy landing onto solid ground. They had been flying. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed that before… Or cared.

"Are you alright?" Vegeta whispered in her ear, free to now cradle her in his arms without the fear of letting her fall. He pulled her face up to his and moved his face lightly through her hair, willingly taking in her sweet aroma. Bulma noticed how he wasn't putting her back down on the ground, but she didn't mind. If anything, her legs felt like Jell-O. If he put her down anytime soon, she knew that she'd probably collapse.

She then remembered what it was that Vegeta had to save her from. She thought it was funny, how her mind already planned to block it out of her memory for the rest of her life, and she just conveniently happened to remember. But that didn't matter either because Vegeta was so close to her. He would protect her with his life, so she didn't have to fear anything for the time being.

It was just Bulma and Vegeta for once. There was no Ginyu Force. There was no planet-hopping. There was no Maron or blonde boy. There was no Freiza. There were no Dragon Balls. It was just the two of them, trying to get closer to each other than humanly and Saiyanly possible. She giggled as they entered the Capsule Corporation space pod and he ran his fingers lightly against her back as the message that he was there. That she was safe. Then he pulled off her shoes and socks.

She knew instantaneously when her back hit the soft mattress cover of the bed on the bottom floor of the space pod. She sharply inhaled when familiar stone-hard muscles pressed against her chest, lightly taking the air out of her lungs with the graceful pressure. Electric sparks flew when his lips gently covered hers. It wasn't long before her tongue obligatorily slipped into his mouth and he massaged it gently with his own, tasting her like she was a delicate wine.

Bulma didn't realize when her hands slipped up the bottom of his shirt until she felt the heat radiating from his heart on the palms of her hands. He let out a low moan as they roamed over his chest, pushing a bit here and there, inspecting the area. She paused when she met one of his nipples and pushed his shirt up. He took the message happily and pulled off his shirt for her. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and let Bulma slip downward below him until her soft pink lips were in line with his collarbone. She kissed him gently and felt the butterflies against her mouth. She trailed wet kisses down to his chest and paused over his right nipple to suck on it like a child. She moved around a bit when she heard him grunt his pleasurable agreement and appreciation at what she was doing to him.

He roughly slid his hands up her shirt to find that her bra had been removed by the blonde. He mentally growled, but accepted it when the female jumped at his cold fingertips, prodding at the lower parts of her breasts in anticipation. He let out a sharp exhale when her lips met his lower stomach, sending wave after wave of desire coursing through him.

Bulma came back up to meet his face and slipped her tongue into his mouth once again. He responded the same as before, pushing on it tenderly with his own, breathing in her delectable scent and fervently tasting her in his mouth. He let his teeth grip onto her lower lip and sucked it in with her tongue, massaging it as well. One of his hands moved to support the back of her fragile head and the other moved to her lower back. He pulled her stomach to his, shifting his hips forward as well, earning himself a sharp intake of breath against his mouth. Bulma swiftly retracted her tongue and lifted herself against him even harder. Vegeta chuckled as he moved to caress her lower back until his hand was pushing on her tight stomach. He slithered up until he was once again prodding at her lower breast area. He moved upward and cupped her in one big hand, moving around gently and adding pressure when he saw fit. Bulma moaned as her head lifted back, unlocking their lips from each other. Vegeta took the opportunity to roughly trail his lips over her precious neck and softly kissed her here and there along the way down.

He flicked his tongue over her left nipple and her back arched ever so slightly. He chuckled when she mumbled something inaudibly.

"Yes?" he asked, cupping his mouth over her entire left nipple and letting himself become a manual suction cup. He lightly pulled on the pink delicacy with the front of his teeth, earning himself another moan. He lifted her arms over her head and helped her remove her shirt. It didn't take much effort, seeing as it was almost ripped to shreds anyway. He mentally growled again at what the blonde bastard was planning on doing to her before he killed her, fulfilling Maron's wishes. If he hadn't gotten there when he did… He didn't want to think about that. Not now, when they were together like this. If he was here, she could never be hurt like that. He wouldn't allow it.

When she mumbled again and he still couldn't understand what she was saying, he let go of her middle and rested his head next to hers, his ear next to her mouth.

"… tired," she whined, and he breathed out satisfyingly when her tongue roamed over the edge of his ear. He placed both of his hands on either side of her waist, just below her rib cage, and pulled her to him once again. He moved so that his teeth scraped over her neck. She let out a yelp of pleasure when he started kissing her.

He moved his hands farther down until he reached her pants. He quickly lifted himself off of her for a moment to slide them down her legs and pull them off at the bottom. He held onto them long enough to dangle them in front of her as if he had just gone fishing and caught a great white shark or something intense like that. Then he tossed them aside like a wet rag and fell back on top of her, kissing her neck as he had been before the interruption.

His hands moved back and forth against the skin on her thighs. He let them travel inward and up until he heard his mate gasp and felt her chest slam into his as her back arched a bit once again. He smirked when she squirmed against his touch. He purposefully went from gentle on her thighs to rough between her legs. Her legs tightened up as he progressed to remove her underwear. They were made of some kind of super-soft material that he couldn't pinpoint by just feeling it, but what he did feel was the lace. It almost felt like they should stay on, but he knew they had to go, along with everything else.

Vegeta soon realized when her energy signal started going into standby mode. She really was tired, and he could feel her slipping into the unconscious. It did feel sort of wrong to take her like this anyway, right after she had almost been raped and killed.

So he stopped removing her clothing and placed his hands in a more appropriate place on her back. He, somewhat reluctantly, wrapped his arms around her as she closed her eyes and leaned into him. He rolled over to lie next to her and felt her arms snake around him as well. One landed on his upper right shoulder blade while the other made it to where his pants came in contact with the bare skin of his lower back. His hands both fell on the middle of her back, meeting each other behind her. It took some effort not to reach for the lace again, but he managed to do it nevertheless. In fact, he noticed that his body was tired as well. It was just that some needs overpowered the others. In this case, his lack of sleep had been the least of his concerns.

When the rise and fall of her chest became even, Vegeta unwrapped his arms from around her and stood up. He heard her moan her unconscious displeasure at his departure from his warm place next to her. He chuckled and grabbed a blanket, gently throwing it over her peaceful form. She latched onto it as a child latches onto their blankets and he waited until her breathing became even again before jumping up to the main floor of the space pod. He walked over and shut the big metal door, but felt an unusual sharp pain. He looked down and remembered his injured leg. He grunted, willingly taking the pain of it as he made his way to the control panels. He winced when it felt like daggers in his leg, but took the pain in any case.

He looked down at the panels and the multitudes of buttons, debating on where they should go now. It would be smart to leave and travel for a while, seeing as Burter and Jiece would come back to Trigone after being tortured by Freiza for failing in the mission. The slimy bastard would either send those two morons after them again, or just kill them for their incompetence and dispatch the Ginyu Force's leader on him and his mate's trail. The problem with that is that the leader was much more powerful than any of the others and he had abilities that Vegeta didn't know how to prepare for. He didn't even know what they were. All he knew was that the leader's abilities surpassed any of Frieza's other henchmen, including him. The simple fact that he wasn't appointed the Ginyu Force's official command just proved that the true leader was more powerful than he was. But that was also before he left those idiots's mother ship. That was before he met the aqua-haired female.

He programmed the coordinates into the ship's computer and set it to autopilot. His woman would be in for a big surprise when they landed. Besides, with the distance they had to travel, this planet was plenty of time and space away from where they had last been seen. It was also the perfect opportunity to have the time to go hunting again…

He walked back to the ladder and jumped down to the lower floor, making his way over to the refrigerator. He opened it and realized that it was a good thing they were headed to a planet with plenty of food, because they needed to refill. He had almost wiped out the supply all by himself, and he didn't know how long it had been since the female had had anything to eat. So, he grabbed everything but a few items, leaving them for her when she woke up and for the rest of the journey. They had about a four-day trip until they arrived at their destination, so the amount of food that he left for her would last that long. As for him, he could go without eating until they landed. He just hoped that they were attacked while his stomach was growling, because then they'd all be in trouble. Him, because his energy would be low, his woman, because he wouldn't be able to defend her as well as he liked, and whoever was attacking them, because when they laid a hand on his mate, he would forget about being hungry and beat the shit out of whoever it was. He shrugged, realizing that everything would be fine. No one would be after them for a while. If he knew anything about Frieza, he certainly knew that he took his time with incompetent henchmen and failed assignments. They would have well over four days until the next threat arrived. The only other problem was that he couldn't train in those four days without squishing his woman like a pancake in the process. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her as she slept. She looked so peaceful, as if nothing in the universe could harm her. Oh, how he wished that was true. He would give almost anything for that to be true.

He now realized that they would have nothing to do for the next four days, either. This stupid pod didn't have any form of entertainment in it, except for his mate of course, but he didn't want to use her only for entertainment. That wouldn't seem right at all, now would it?

He snatched up his shirt from the floor and his newly acquired food from the small table on his left and headed for the ladder.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"Vegeta?" Bulma called, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Looking down at herself, she quickly grabbed her white shirt off the floor and threw it on. The effort made her nearly breathless. She clasped her hands together and hunched her back in a long and beneficial stretch. She sat up straight again and looked around, memories of the previous day flooding into her mind. Or previous morning… or whatever. She didn't know what time it was and she didn't know what time she had fallen asleep either. But she didn't care either way. "Vegeta?" she called again, and this time, he jumped down from the top floor, startling her.

"What?" he asked, as if she had just interrupted something very important. Bulma suddenly felt like everything was right again. He had shown her that his previous behavior hadn't meant that he no longer cared for her. Last night had proved that, or, once again, whatever time it had been. But still, he had shown her that he was still very interested in her, which made her day… or night.

"What time is it?" she finally asked. Vegeta rolled his eyes at the simple question that he was called down for.

"About ten at night. Why?"

Nighttime. That made more sense. She hadn't even slept through the day. Or…

"About how long was I out?"

"You fell asleep around five at night, yesterday. You slept for over twenty-four hours."

"Really?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"No, woman. I'm _lying_ ," he said sarcastically, bending towards her for emphasis as he exaggerated his last word.

"You don't _have_ to be a jerk about it," she stated flatly, little to no emotion in her voice.

"Well, the fact that I didn't know if you were dead or alive was a bit unnerving," he said. He rolled his eyes. They both knew very well that he could sense her energy level, so he would be able to tell if she had miraculously died in her sleep. They stared at each other for a moment, thinking the same exact thoughts, and then she was in his arms, their lips locked together. He quickly pushed her back onto the bed and leaned over her, both their legs hanging over the side. He felt one of her legs insistently curl around his backside and forcibly pull his hips into her. He grunted and realized that she was still wearing only her lacey underwear and a thin white shirt that was most definitely see-through. He then remembered that he wasn't going to use her for his own selfish entertainment and decided to leave her clothes where they were.

He grabbed her head in both his hands and parted her lips with his tongue. She moaned against him and reached for his shirt. He let her pull it over his head and throw it back on the floor. He wondered if he should just leave it there when they were through, since it looked like he would just have to take it off again every five minutes.

He kissed her passionately for nearly fifteen minutes when she paused to catch her uneven breath. He lifted himself off of her and sat beside her, waiting until she was finished. But he soon became bored with sitting there, doing nothing, and ran his fingers through her tangled hair. They didn't make it halfway through before reaching a mess of knots and getting caught. He lifted his hand out and decided that he'd just stick with keeping his hand on the back of her neck, massaging it lightly every few seconds to pass the time. He leaned forward and placed kisses along her face as she leaned her head into them. When he reached her neck, she rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes happily. His left hand remained on the back of her hair as the other moved to her shoulder blade, pulling her closer.

It was so obvious that he cared for her now that Bulma didn't know what could have possible influenced her to believe for a single moment that he had lost all interest in her. She considered herself wiser now. If he ever acted like that again, she knew that all she would have to do is give him some space for a little while.

"So…," she breathed, and hearing Vegeta's muffled reply against her neck, she continued, "What did you do while I was gone?" She paused, "Aside from training and injuring yourself."

"Very funny," he said unenthusiastically, stopping what he had been doing and looking down at her with his paralyzing, onyx eyes. Bulma almost regretted saying anything. "I was getting rid of our aquamarine friend. Those two pods that were following us came after my energy signal and I tricked them into taking her. They thought she was you."

Bulma knew it was the wrong question to ask, but she couldn't help herself. "Why were you with Maron?" she said accusingly.

"I was injured in here," he replied, eyeing her because of her unwelcome tone. "I couldn't exactly _be_ with anyone, seeing as I couldn't move. She was with _me_ , to make it more accurate. She felt that she had to come distract me so that the blonde bastard could have time to…" He stopped, seeing the color drain from Bulma's face. "Woman, I didn't mean—"

"I know. I'm sorry," she said quickly. It wasn't his fault, "How's your leg, anyway?" she added, hoping to distract him from their previous conversation's topic.

"It's fine." He turned his head away and stood up. Bulma knew he was just saying that when she saw him limp ever so slightly as he walked to the refrigerator, but she didn't say anything. If he didn't want to be bothered with her knowing, then she wouldn't say anything. But if he ended up getting hurt again, she might bring it up so he'd be more careful. "I left you some food, if you want it," he said, opening the refrigerator door. "We have a four day trip until our next landing site, so don't eat it all at once, because it's all you've got."

"What about you?" she asked cautiously, and then changed her tone, "Don't you dare give me what's in there because you feel bad about eating, Vegeta. I _know_ there's plenty to go around—"

Vegeta swung open the door all the way to reveal that most of the food was gone… _eaten_.

"What did you do?!" she cried, making sure her voice had no leftover pieces of anger in it. Angry was the least thing she was at that moment. If anything, she was primarily curious as to how he managed to rid themselves of anything substantial inside the pod. "Did you give it to the hungry or just throw it out?" she joked.

"What are you smoking, woman? I _ate_ it."

"You couldn't have eaten all of it. There was enough food in there to feed all the children in _Ethiopia_. What happened to it?"

"I told you already, and I'm not repeating myself. Saiyans eat a lot. So don't blame me for your lack of food. Blame yourself for not packing enough."

"Sorry for not knowing that you eat like some fat and overfed prince!"

"That's rude," he mocked, smirking at her.

Bulma grumbled and folded her arms. "You can close it now. I'm not even hungry."

"You know what I've realized?" Vegeta asked, and Bulma knew that he was about to make another humorless joke, insulting something about her.

"No!"

"Whenever you end up being wrong or losing an argument with me, you go into some kind of "Lockdown mode." You just fold your arms and shut down on me." He chuckled and looked at her. Bulma quickly uncrossed her arms and jumped off the bed, attacking him. She playfully flung her arms around his neck and lightly punched against his back. Vegeta just continued to laugh at her. He pulled her off of him and reached between her legs, prodding gently. Her mouth opened slightly in a silent scream, and she scrunched her eyebrows at him. He slowly released her. She refused to let go of his neck and she pulled his face up to hers so that their lips stuck together like superglue was between them.

Vegeta smirked, happy that he hadn't put his shirt back on.


	29. Return

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Return**

It had been nearly the four days that it would take to arrive at their new destination. Vegeta knew that they'd be somewhere his woman might not completely agree with. After all, they were running from Frieza all this time. Wasn't this the easiest place to be found, considering all the places they'd been already? He wondered if she'd agree with him or not. But after all, it was their only chance. He hadn't had enough time to train, and he was weaker than Frieza. There was no way he could beat him. Not even for his own life. He would lose.

So, naturally, he had tried to think of other ways to defeat the slimy bastard. And this was the most efficient way to do it. If they had the time, which it appeared that they did thanks to Burter and Jiece's stupidity, Freiza would be dead within the week. He'd finally be gone. Dead as dead could be.

Vegeta put his head in his hands and stared at the floor of the space pod. They could land any second now. What if his woman didn't want to be here? What if she wanted to go away from here? As far away as possible.

He shook his head. He was sure that this was the only way to rid himself of his previous master. Hopefully, the aqua-haired female would come to realize that as well.

"We're almost there, woman," he said, feeling the hot steam coming from the shower. Why she felt the need to shower every day was a mystery to him. Maybe he was just used to smelling good all the time. He naturally gave off a seductive scent. It was just his heritage, he supposed. He shrugged to himself.

"I don't know why you still won't tell me where we're going, Vegeta," her voice came from behind the door. It sounded muffled. "Is it really that much of a surprise? Why can't you just tell me if we're almost there anyway?"

"Why don't you hurry up in there so you can figure it out without my help? Maybe then you'd quit complaining about it."

"I'll quit complaining about it when you just give me an answer that doesn't involve how wrong I am or how gallant you are," she said mockingly.

"Gallant…? Woman, you have some problems."

"Like I said, how wrong I am. You can't go one hour without saying one of the two, can you?"

"Is that a challenge?" he asked loudly, making sure she could hear him from behind the door, the shower curtain and the running water.

"Everything's a challenge with you, Vegeta," she called in response, and Vegeta could feel her moving around in the closed off room. "So why not make _this_ one? It's not like I'm going to lose, because I know that I'm right."

"Wrong."

"Like I said—"

"When are we starting?" he interrupted, wondering if he could actually do something like this.

"How about now?"

"You're on," he growled, and decided that it would be best just to keep his mouth shut for the first part while he focused on what to say next without losing. "What do I get if I win?" he asked.

"I don't know. What do you want?"

"You mean I can have anything I ask for?" he asked devilishly.

"I never said that. I said pick something you want, and I'll tell you if you can have it."

"If I win, you have to do everything I tell you for a week."

"Don't I do that anyway?"

"You wouldn't if I asked you some of the things I'm currently thinking of."

"I'm not sure if I should be disgusted with you or excited." He noticed her bored tone. He snorted. She was making fun of him.

"Do we have a deal?" he asked.

"Sure, but then I want you to do everything _I_ tell you for a week. That sounds fair, doesn't it?"

Vegeta crossed his arms over his muscled chest and sighed. "You're going to regret this."

"I think _you're_ the one who's going to regret it, Vegeta."

He opened his mouth, but closed it as soon as he realized that he was going to tell her that she was wrong. This was going to be a bit harder than he thought…

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"You can't sit there for an hour without saying anything. That's cheating." Bulma wrapped the towel around herself as she stepped out of the shower and realized that it barely covered past her ass. She mentally sighed and opened the door.

"We never made rules, woman, and it's too late now. Making new rules _would_ be considered cheating, in this particular case." She caught his eyes slipping down on her towel-covered body a bit before he brought them back to her face. She shook her head at him.

"You're so stubborn sometimes. Did you know that?"

He opened his mouth, and then closed it. He let a smirk slip past his lips. "Yes."

"Congratulations. You've made it for ten minutes out of sixty."

"Yes I have. Thanks."

"This is nice. Are you sure you don't want to go for double or nothing? Make it so you have to do this for a little longer."

"I'm fine."

"You sound funny when you're not insulting people," she laughed, grabbing new clothes from her pile on the floor next to the ladder.

"I'm glad you're so amused."

"No you're not, Vegeta. You're such a suck-up… And a sore loser, if I may say so in advance."

"You're playing with fire, woman."

"Wow. A sentence with more than three words in it. And that's the _second_ one. You're on a roll."

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm not."

Vegeta pursed his lips, knowing that arguing involve disagreements. He had no idea how much he tended to say that she was wrong. He promised himself never to take it for granted again after this shit was done and over with.

"What's the matter? Nothing to say to that?"

"You're still playing with fire."

"Let me guess: I'm going to get burned."

"Or worse."

"Very funny, Vegeta, but you're not as hot as you think you are. You couldn't melt an ice cube."

"I'm pretty sure I melted your heart last night, woman."

"Very funny, smartass."

"I thought it was," he said smugly.

"Of course you did."

Vegeta stood up from his seat and made to lie down on the bed across the room when the loudspeaker came on.

" _Now arriving at destination. The atmosphere has been cleared_. _Thank you for choosing to ride with Capsule Corporation_."

"So?" Bulma asked, a few seconds after the loudspeaker turned itself off.

"So _what_?" he quietly snapped.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

"Are you going to walk a few yards and find out by yourself?"

"Wow. That was thirteen words long. I believe I underestimated you."

"You're absolutely _right_ ," he mocked, and Bulma rolled her eyes, making her way up the ladder.

"Stay down here," she said, looking over her shoulder. "I'm going to put some clothes on. I'll let you know when I'm finished and then you can come up, okay?"

"It's not like I've never seen you without any clothes on, woman," he said, but rolled his eyes at the face she was giving him. "Fine. Whatever."

"That's better."

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" he growled, watching her go up the ladder until he couldn't see her anymore. He heard her laugh and let out a loud hiss, but she only laughed even harder when she heard it. He folded his arms in defiance and laid back on the bed, waiting until she called for him.

"I could have grown old and died down there at the rate you were going," he said flatly, climbing up the ladder to the main floor, but she didn't respond. Instead, she was standing, speechless at the control panel.

"What did you do?" she asked calmly.

"What are you blathering about now?" he growled, walking over to her, but she whipped around, her face revealing anger.

"What did you do, Vegeta?! Why are we back here?! This is where we didn't want to be! This was where we were running from! This is the reason why we left!"

"I thought you'd be glad to see your pathetic excuse for a family again," he said sarcastically, folding his arms again. "Unless you enjoyed being alone with me that much," he smirked, "But don't worry. I have a feeling that your mother will be just fine with—"

"Vegeta! This isn't a joke! My dad's going to kill me for taking his only space pod without permission!"

"Well if that's what you're worried about, woman, then you obviously forgot who you're travelling with."

"Stop joking around! This isn't a game!"

"Why are you so upset anyway? This is your home, after all."

"Why am I upset?! Vegeta, you dragged me all over the universe to places I didn't even want to go and now you're bringing me back home all of a sudden. I was almost killed by poison, raped by some blonde maniac and came in contact with a disgusting and slutty look-alike of myself, which was not my taste in vacations. And if you still think you're a good bodyguard after all that, then you're insane! You're a lunatic! What in the world were you thinking?!"

"Actually, woman, you're wrong. That poison wasn't going to kill you because I knew it was in your blood. And Maron looked nothing like you in my eyes, so that's two mistakes you've made so far. Anything else?" A small smile crept its way to Bulma's lips and Vegeta frowned. "What is it now?"

"You lose," she said happily, the smile still in its rightful place. "But thanks for the comment."

"You did _not_ ," he warned, taking a vicious step forward in her direction.

"I didn't do anything. You did it all by yourself." The smile was getting bigger. Vegeta growled at its stubborn persistence to take over his woman's face. It wasn't very becoming for her. "And now you owe me anything I want for an entire week, mister. Prepare to meet my every pleasure. And I think the first thing I want you to do is go tell my father that taking his pod was all your idea and you dragged me along against my will. Then I want you to go talk to my mother about what a wonderful time we spent together." She let her smile get even bigger, if that was even possible.

"And why would you want me to do something like that?" he growled, knowing now that his loss was inevitable when he thought about it.

"Because then my father won't blame me for taking the pod. The reason I want you to talk to my mother after that is to get her to side with you and me, because we're going to need her when my father flips out on you. that's actually a good point. I want you to talk to my mother first then, because my dad probably won't give you the opportunity to make things better after you tell him."

Vegeta cursed under his breath. How could her smile be getting any bigger? It was growing like a plant on steroids.

"Well? Get to it." She put her hands on her hips and her smile faltered, replaced by a playful scowl and a delicately lifted eyebrow. Vegeta snorted. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could work this to his advantage after all…

"Yes, ma'am," he said in return, mimicking her playful scowl, and then showing his perfectly white teeth in a surprisingly enthusiastic snarl. And then he opened the door to the space pod and stepped out onto the metal platform. He walked until he hit grass. He could instantly feel the red-hot presence of his mate's male parental unit. He was coming straight for Vegeta by the feel of his fast paced energy signal. Vegeta sighed. It was pathetic how this feeble Earthling male could make his woman so afraid.

Vegeta made his way towards the back of the house so that he could easily avoid the adult male until he spoke with the female, as he had been instructed. He passingly got the strange feeling that he was back in captivity, following orders as he had done for Frieza not too long ago. Just he found himself not minding carrying out his mate's instructions. It gave him an odd sensation of being… he didn't quite know. The first word that came to mind was 'useful,' but he knew that wasn't right. It was more like the satisfaction came from doing what she pleased, as if her tasks were a purpose. _His_ purpose.

He shook his head and sighed. He would never be able to figure out what the hell he meant at this rate. He decided to just stick with following orders. At least they were straightforward and they didn't confuse him to the point of insanity.

"Vegeta? Is that you, dear?" the familiar voice called. Vegeta turned to find the blonde woman, his mate's female parental unit, standing before him. He didn't want to think about it too much, but thinking about his woman led him to ignore the approaching energy signal as if he didn't have a care in the world for it.

"I brought your daughter back," he said, wondering if the aqua-haired female wanted him to lay the butter on thin or thick. He decided to go with thick. "And we had _loads_ of fun," he added, failing in his attempt to be enthusiastic.

"It's so nice to hear your voice again. Did Bulma enjoy her time with you, darling?"

Vegeta wondered why she kept calling him by such stupid and childish names. It wasn't as if this was _his_ parent. It wasn't as if he was anyone important to her. He wasn't even family—

Only one tragic and yet unsurprisingly blood-boiling word entered his mind, but before his mind could register it, the part he wasn't prepared for jumped him.

"Have you asked to marry her yet? You don't need her father's approval. You have mine. If he has a problem with you, he can take it up with me, because I think you two were a match made in heaven. You look so adorable together! I approve, I approve, I approve!"

Vegeta felt like barfing. The last thing on his mind was marriage, and he was sure that his woman would have brought it up if it had ever crossed her strange and unfathomable mind. If she wanted to get married, she would have pushed him to the edge and over by now. And a huge part was grateful just then, that his mate didn't take after her mother. He would have left her instantaneously, without a second thought… Or even a first one.

"No, that's not it," he said, trying to be polite. If he screwed this up, god only knew what she'd do to him when he got back to the pod. "I don't think your daughter is ready for such things." He felt like such a tool, acting this way. One way or another, he knew he'd have to find a way to get even with her after all this was done and over with. And he already had a few ideas coming to mind. He mentally smirked, and then stupidly came back to reality.

"Well, she was supposed to have the ceremony a while back now, and she decided to run off with you instead. And then, when she came back, her heart was broken, and she was marrying another man. I knew that you had broken her heart, but trust me, I knew you were going to pull through and win her back, darling. I'm just so upset that Yamcha had to die. He was a good boy."

Vegeta snorted quietly. Yeah, he was a good boy, his ass. That mother fucker was going to get his woman killed. And he would never stand for it. He would never let that bastard's grubby hands touch his fragile female's body after what he had done to her back in the motel. Even he wouldn't stoop so low as to force himself on her if she wasn't willing whether she was his or not. Even if she had already promised to be his, as in that stupid marriage ceremony crap. Forcing himself on her was never even an option. It was never even a thought. He would never forgive that scar-faced loser, and he deserved what he got. He had it coming for him the moment he laid his disgusting eyes on her delicate form, instead of the graceful features of her face. That much was a truthful fact in Vegeta's eyes, and that was the way it would always stay for the rest of eternity. He needed to die, and that was just the way it had to be.

"But then you two run off again. Goodness, her father was angry when he found out… But now you're back. I just assumed that you wanted to get married. You two have probably done each other a few times by now, haven't you? You _were_ gone quite some time."

Vegeta coughed on his own saliva, nearly doubling over at the blonde woman's accusation… Or so it felt like one. Last time he heard her talk like this was before they left, and he distinctly remembered his mate acting the same way he was now. And he remembered himself, feeling quite proud that the thought of mating with him made his female turn bright red. He wondered what had changed to make him act the way she had.

He put his thoughts on pause. He felt embarrassed? No, that wasn't right. Maybe it was just that this parent of his mate was so interested in when and how many times he had bedded her daughter. What, was she worried that he was holding out on her? That he wasn't giving her the treatment her mother believed she deserved? That was insane. Even a _Saiyan_ mother wouldn't behave in such an obscene way.

But still, his woman did want him to put a distance between her parents, having the female side with them to corner the male with only two options, one of them ending badly.

"Actually," he said in a low whisper, "She doesn't like to talk about it much." Oh, he was going to lay it on thick, alright.

The blonde giggled, as if she was her daughter instead. Vegeta didn't like the idea of it. Older women weren't in his tastes, but this wasn't for her. It was for his mate… And for what he planned on doing with her later in return for tricking him into losing this hateful and utterly tactless game.

"We didn't go far. Only a few planets away. I took _very_ good care of her until we got back here. She didn't want to go home, but I made her come anyway because I knew you'd miss her."

"How thoughtful," the blonde replied slyly. Vegeta tasted a hint of bile in the back of his throat.

"Well, I guess I'd better go talk with her father now and see what he has to say about all this. I'm deeply sorry that I got you involved in this. You know I wouldn't do it in any type of offense."

"Or course not, and I don't mind at all. You're free to do whatever you please… _son_."

"Not quite."

"You mean not _yet_."

Vegeta forced a slight smile as he tried not to run away from the old bag and her rambunctious rambling.

He didn't know why, but a drop of sweat creased his brow… Now he had to talk with the other parent…


	30. Shrimp Attack

**Chapter Thirty: Shrimp Attack**

Vegeta paced around the front of the house until he felt the red-hot energy signal of his woman's male parental unit heading straight for him. He chuckled. This Earthling really had no idea what he was about to get himself into. If he thought that Vegeta was just like any other boy that his daughter brought home, then the old man was sadly mistaken. If he thought that he was just like some young punk about to steal his daughter's precious virginity, he might have been sadly mistaken. Vegeta hadn't decided if that's what he was just yet. But as he waited for the overconfident male to reach him in his slow Earthling pace of a run, Vegeta realized that he wasn't going to have to steal it because his woman would gladly give it to him for free at any time he pleased.

He began to feel the anticipation, but it shattered when the front door swung open and slammed against the side of the house with the male's effort. Vegeta mentally laughed. Did he really think he was all that? The male probably believed that he could overpower him because he was older. Ha! What a feeble old man!

Vegeta pretended to look startled, as if he didn't expect his mate's father to come barging over to him like that. He thought it was sort of fun, playing this game. He felt like a real Earthling male, dealing with his mate's parent like this. It was fascinating to him, in a disgusting kind of way. He hated it, and at the same time believed that it was worth the trouble.

He turned to make a break for it in human speed, but made sure that he was slow enough for the old man to catch him. He felt his anger rise when his arm was grabbed, half way down the driveway. He let his power level drop dramatically so that he could be pulled backwards and almost thrown to the ground.

"How dare you!" the man yelled. "How dare you take my daughter away like that! How dare you even speak with her! How dare you look upon her face! How dare you ruin her future by kissing her at her ceremony and then stealing her away the first time! But I guess that wasn't good enough for you, now was it? No! You had to go a long and ruin her wedding as well. Yamcha was _perfect_ for her and then you had to come along and screw with her head! He was a gentleman and a flawless husband for my dear daughter! She doesn't need a drunken washout like you! You don't deserve her and you never will!"

Vegeta tried his best not to burst out laughing. Oh, he felt like an Earthling male, alright. It was so obvious, it was _pathetic_. The distinctive rebel daughter. The classic demanding father. The archetypal supportive mother. And the typical overprotective boyfriend. He felt like he was in a freaking soap opera, for crying out loud!

Although, the idea that this man honestly believed that Yamcha, that scar-faced loser, was better for the aqua-haired female just proved to him how much she needed him. With people like this looking out for her for her entire life, he was shockingly surprised she was still alive back when they first met.

Vegeta backed up with is arms in the air. He put a worried look on his face, adding to his charade.

"You're definitely right, sir. I'm very sorry for what I've done," he said. If he didn't watch himself, he would wind up laughing his fucking head off before his plan came to pass.

"You'd better be, you dropout bastard! I never want you around my daughter ever again, you hear me?!" Vegeta nodded fiercely, slipping in a smirk as his head moved too fast for the old man to see him. "Now, get out of here! I swear to God! If I ever see you're ugly face around here ever again, I'll kill you!"

That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. Regretting his actions, Vegeta accidentally let out a loud laugh. This man actually believed that he could kill the Prince of all Saiyans! This was too much. He couldn't take it anymore.

But then, the crazy old man pulled out a knife and made for Vegeta's chest with. Maybe it was time to show him just exactly what he was about to deal with. He stood his ground.

Vegeta let out his energy where he anticipated the knife to hit, and watched as the metal bent to one side as it hit his skin. He also looked at the old man's expression when he pulled the knife away. He couldn't help but laugh again at the irony.

"Y-You're a monster!" he said, not able to take his eyes off of the now useless foot-long steak knife. "H-How could you do this?"

"Well," Vegeta said, as if preparing to give a group of elementary school children a lecture on quantum physics, "It's simple, really. I'm not pathetic, like you. I'm a Saiyan. I come from a different planet than this one. Remember when you sent you're precious daughter to that murderer, Freiza? Well, I was the person put in charge of her safety. When I realized that keeping her safe involved getting away from Freiza, I brought her back here. But when I realized that we were being track and hunted like small animals, I took her away from here. That was why we took your pod not too long ago. We had to leave after your so-called _perfect_ husband Yamcha tried to rape your daughter. She didn't want a loser like that bastard, so he tried to force himself on her. She wanted _me_. And how could you blame her? I'm stronger and better looking, so she was attracted to me from the start. But humans are still animals themselves, so the underside helped out a bit. Her instincts told her that I was an ideal mate. I could provide the strongest children, and I _am_ compatible with her species, so she sort of… _latched_ onto me, so to speak from the first moment she saw me. And being what I am, a Saiyan, human females are naturally drawn to me. I've discovered that during my stay here on your mud-ball of a planet."

He had expected the old man to say something after all that, but he kept his mouth shut. He had no words left. Vegeta mentally chuckled to himself. The old man was speechless.

"Oh, Vegeta!" a high pitched voice called from behind, and Vegeta sighed helplessly. He would remember that voice for the rest of his life. He didn't doubt that it would give him nightmares for a while. "Darling, you two aren't fighting, now are you?" the blonde asked, clasping her hands together in front of her, below her neck. "I don't want any trouble, boys. No fighting, you understand me?" She wagged a finger in Vegeta's face and the only thing that tantalized his mind was the simple thought of biting it off in one quick motion. This whole family was starting to drive him insane, and that _included_ his woman. This was all her fault to begin with.

"Did you know that Vegeta is a Saiyan, honey?" the old man asked, and Vegeta turned, surprised that he remembered the name of the species. Usually, people never remembered that. "Do you remember when I told you about the planet Vegeta." His ears perked up. This human knew about his planet.

"No, I don't remember, sweetheart," the blonde said.

"I knew your name sounded familiar," he clarified, turning to Vegeta. "And now I finally remember where I heard it from. _My_ father used to trade with the Saiyan Empire way back when. But after he died, I never heard from your planet's inhabitants again. Did they not like what we gave them?"

"My planet was destroyed," Vegeta said. There was no remorse in his voice. Not even anger.

"My goodness!" the blonde yelped, and Vegeta lifted an eyebrow at her.

"How did you survive?" the old man asked. Vegeta was starting to not like the fact that these people knew so much about him and his demolished planet. He had enough trouble spilling the beans for his own mate, and here these people didn't even need to be told. "Oh, dear," he added, an idea coming to mind. "You're the young prince, aren't you?" Vegeta jumped at the sound of his title. "Did your father…"

Vegeta scowled and the old man dropped his head in apology. This wasn't right. How did this man know about his father? How did he know about his planet? How did he know about _him_?

"I'm sorry about what I said," the old man said solemnly, and Vegeta cursed at the genuine apology. Just knowing who he was pissed him off enough. Why did he have to treat him like royalty now that he knew who he was? Yes, he was the prince of a dead race. No one needed to remind him of that little piece of information. He knew it all too well. "I hope you can forgive me."

Vegeta was about to spit on the man, but changed his mind. This was insane. This was the last thing he ever thought would happen. How was he supposed to know that the only human on this planet who knew who he was was his mate's father…? His thoughts turned to the aqua-haired female. She didn't know about this either. She had been as surprised as her mother to hear that he was from a different race. A _dead_ race.

"I'll go get your daughter," Vegeta said, turning around. "We might not be staying for a long time, but we'll probably spend the night here." He began to walk back in the direction of the landed space pod.

"Vegeta!" the old man called, and he turned around. "I built something while you were gone. It's a gravity chamber. Maybe you'd like to try it out sometime?" Vegeta nodded at him. Training would be his main focus until… "And… thank you… for keeping my daughter safe."

Vegeta just nodded again and turned back towards the space pod's location.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

"This is nice, isn't it?" Bulma asked, sitting on the cushiony mattress in her blue-walled bedroom.

"What are you talking about now, woman?"

"You and me," she said dreamily. Vegeta pretended to barf, but she ignored his mockery. "At my house… About to have dinner with my parents."

"Yeah. It's very nice," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, and I almost forgot. You're going to have to help my mother with the cooking."

Vegeta eyed her for a moment and when he knew she was serious, his jaw dropped. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No."

"Why do you keep making me have to deal with that woman?! She's insane!"

"And she's also my mother, Vegeta. So be nice to her or I'm kicking you out myself."

He smirked. "Would you like to try that _now_?" She giggled at him and shook her head. Vegeta frowned. "You're no fun anymore."

" _Anymore_?"

"That's right. Ever since we got back to this stupid planet."

"You mean I'm not making out with you every second of my life because now I actually have _other_ things to do? Have you ever heard of _chores_ before? Have you ever heard of parents telling you what to do until all the time you have left is reserved for sleeping so you can wake up the next morning just to start working again?"

"No," he replied quickly, "But I've lived through having to deal with Freiza for most of my life. And _chores_ would be an understatement. Have _you_ ever heard of having to purge planets of all their inhabitants in a limited amount of time so that you wouldn't get beaten to near death when you returned home? And when you talk about actually having time to _sleep_ , for me, that was a luxury I was rarely given."

"Well, then I guess helping my mother in the kitchen for a small amount of time should be a piece of cake for you, then. Right?"

"I'd rather chew my arms off," he grunted immaturely, folding his arms and turning his head away like a child asked to empty the dishwasher. That wasn't the response he had been looking for from her.

"Get moving," she said, pointing to the door. "I'm going to get changed and I'll be there when dinner starts. You still have to do what I say, and I say, go help my mother in the kitchen. Give her a good impression, okay?"

"All she cares about it us getting _married_ ," he blurted. "What a stupid idea! It's not like I want to marry anyone, and that includes you. No offense, woman, but I'm not the married-for-life type of Saiyan, thank you very much." When he finished his little rant, he noticed the expression on the female's face and the water that was beginning to form in her eyes. But before his mind could interpret what they meant, he was shoved out of the room and the door was slammed behind him.

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"Vegeta? Is that you, dear?" the blonde asked. Vegeta knew it was stupid to hide around the corner of the kitchen if he was going to have to do this anyway. He guessed that he was only prolonging his doomed sanity from leaving him forever. It wasn't like he'd need it, though. Without it, he'd fit right into this nuthouse.

He walked around the corner in a calm manner, as if he _hadn't_ been hiding from the blonde for the past couple minutes.

"What are you doing in here, sweetheart?" the strange woman asked.

"Do you need any help?" he asked, feeling as if he'd just offered to end his own life. He realized that he really would rather chew his arms off. This was going to be worse than eternity in Hell. This was going to be worse than death itself. He'd rather have to help _Freiza_ in the kitchen than this maniac. This was worse than torture from the two homosexuals at Frieza's command, Dodoria and Zarbon. He wondered whatever happened to them. He had killed Recoome, so he probably guessed that they were hiding from him now. He chuckled. They probably knew that if he ever saw either one of their despicable faces ever again in his entire life, he's repay them the favor of all those times they beat him for fun when he was a child. No child should ever have to go through what they put him through over a hundred times. But no matter. He mentally shrugged. It had only proved to make him stronger. It made him strong enough to kill them now. He wondered if he'd ever get the delightful chance. Thinking about all the things he could do to them certainly made him hope so. He didn't want to miss out on the diverting task.

"Well, yes. Actually, I do. Did Bulma send you in here to help me?" she asked accusingly, yet a smile was on her face.

"No," he said, not in the mood to argue with anyone, which surprised even him. He surmised that it was just this female who seemed to have a knack for annoying him. He couldn't even begin to imagine how many brain cells he would lose having an argument with her. He could just imagine all the times she would go off topic to try and prove her point. He mentally groaned at the difference between mother and daughter.

"Really," she asked, shock crossing her face, "Why, that's wonderful!"

Vegeta wanted to slap himself in the forehead. Of course he wasn't going to tell her that he was sent like some puppy humbly retrieving the mail for its master. But this was going overboard. Now she probably liked him even more. If he even wanted someone to hate him in all his life, it was this blonde hag. He wanted nothing more than to hear her scream at him to get away from her. It would be his pleasure.

But as he looked around the room full of mouthwatering food, something clicked inside his head that told him to never ever leave this heavenly place. Even if it meant putting up with the female parental unit. As if it were an epiphany, he decided that he would stay and reap the benefits of helping to make food. He could almost feel his growling stomach shake the planet to its core. And his hunger instantly needed to be satiated.

"So," he began, trying not to sound too cautious. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, tonight is very special, because my daughter has finally some home and you're finally with us as well. So I'm making something very good tonight."

"What is it?" Vegeta asked, not having to be cautious in any way when asking that question. There was nothing in his mind that said that he should fear the answer. In fact, he was impatiently awaiting it.

"Fried shrimp, string beans with salt and olive oil, white rice and soy sauce, California rolls, extra-buttery corn, the way I like it, soft bread rolls, and wine to wash it all down. Although, you two will have sparkling apple cider because you're not old enough to drink just yet. Doesn't that sound delectable?"

Vegeta sighed. He couldn't count the amount of times he had gotten way too drunk as a child with all the fingers on both of his hands. But he silently nodded, thinking that his little secret fact wasn't a wise thing to tell the old bag. And even so, the food was making him have to swallow his saliva at one hundred miles per hour before it all came dripping out of his mouth. He didn't know how apple cider could be sparkling, or how whatever the hell a California was could be rolled in a fashion to make it eatable, but he still found the idea of food to be enticingly appealing as it was.

"So, you can help me by taking the hard outer part of the shrimp off and putting it in the garbage. When you're finished with that, take a knife and cut off each end of the string beans so we don't get stuck eating a stem or rotten part during dinner. Okay?"

"Uhm, okay," he said, turning to the counter and noticing the small fish-like creatures known as shrimp. So, he had to rip their skin off. That didn't sound so bad. And then he got to slice and chop the head off of the green things in the other bowl to his left. The sink was on his right.

"And don't forget to rinse them when you're done," the blonde female called, wiping off her hands on a small drying cloth before exiting the room. He paused. Where was she going? She didn't expect him to make the foodstuff all by himself, did she? He couldn't do that! He didn't even know what a California looked like! And he certainly didn't know how to roll it!

He turned back to the bowl of gray fish and picked one up daintily with two fingers as if it was a dirty sock. He analyzed it, turning it this way and that until he got a good look at it. Then he slowly grabbed the tail of the hard skin with his other hand. And then he pulled.

The fish flew out of his hands and landed on the floor behind him. He growled loudly at it and picked it up, this time securing it in his fist. He reached for the tail again and, making sure he had a firm grip, yanked on it for the second time.

The fish broke into two pieces, the shell still on both of them. He angrily kicked a counter and squeezed his fingers into the palm of his hand. He opened it back up to find that the fish wasn't even harmed. He placed both pieces on the ground and pointed an open hand at them. He fired a quick energy blast, disintegrating the remains, and then whipped his head around, making sure the blonde wasn't stalking him to see what he was doing.

When the coast was clear, he turned back to the bowl and eyed it sharply, as if the fish would jump out of their shells at the threatening look in his eye. But when that failed to work, he growled again. The fish still didn't move. This was stupid! Back on his planet, the women were always the ones who did the cooking for their mates. He was never taught idiotic things like how to skin a fish in preparation for a meal. How did anyone expect him to do this before their lives ended? It was impossible!

He was the freaking Prince of all Saiyans! He could destroy planets and purge them of their every inhabitant. He could wipe out all life from a planet's surface, and then bargain with the traders until they gave him what he wanted, or died and he got it anyway. And these stupid fish would never bend to his will?! They were already gone. The absence of their heads gave that much away, although he had dealt with a species once that could only be killed by ripping out their hearts. Although, there must have been other ways to do it, but that was the one that Vegeta had found to be the most efficient in his task.

He glared at the fish once again. They were even called "shrimp"! How much more torture could these ignorant little swimming creatures make him undergo? Even in their death, they were trying to screw with his brain! Well, he'd show them a thing or two.

He grabbed another small fish between a thumb and his forefinger from the bowl once more and gripped the shell's tail lightly with the other hand. Then, as gently as he could, he pulled it off, separating the meat from the shell. He proudly tossed the shell in the garbage can a few feet away, and then turned back to the fish between his fingers. He put it right up to his nose and looked down on it. And then he laughed at it. He mockingly laughed as loud as he could in as deep of a voice as he could muster. Now the joke was on the stupid, brainless, not to mention _headless_ , SHRIMP!—

"Vegeta? What are you doing?"

He whipped around, the shrimp still in his hands, to find the aqua-haired female standing in the doorway behind him. She had a look in her face that said that she was currently questioning his sanity.

"What?" he asked, the perfect sign of a dog caught with the off-limits shoe in his mouth.

"What are you doing? I thought I told you to help my mother with dinner."

"I am," he said quickly, defensively. Bulma leered at him.

"It looks to me like you're playing with the food that I'm going to have to eat."

Vegeta thought of it more as a battle than playing. If he was just playing with the imprudent fish, then he wouldn't have been wishing that its head was still on so he could blast it off again. Preferably with something that exploded on impact.

"I am not!" he said sternly, and then added, "You're bothering me. I can't concentrate with you here, woman. Go away!"

"Whatever," she replied waving a sarcastically dismissive hand in the air as she turned and left him to his business.

Vegeta let out a sigh of relief. He turned back to the bowl of fish and sneered arrogantly.

"It's just you and me now, you stupid, spoiled bowl of vermin," he snarled, a smirk on his face. And then, with his new knowledge on how to detach the shell from the rest of the body, he set to work.

About ten minutes later, he was finished. He wiped the seat off his forehead from the arduous task and turned to find the bowl of green things waiting for him. He let out a low snarl, curling his upper lip over his teeth. So, this was his next victim, eh? He'd almost forgotten about the disgusting greens.

He grabbed the closest knife and pulled out a green thing. He looked it over and found the stem on one end. This looked easy. He chopped it off with the knife. And it was _fun_ , too. He powered up and chopped as fast as his arm would let him. He imagined them screaming as he sliced the life out of each one of them, one by one. He lined them up so they would know right before it was their turn to meet their final fate. He didn't particularly enjoy giving such quick deaths, but it was acceptable in this case. He had so many greens to kill, that time wasn't really an issue for him.

But when he reached into the bowl and felt nothing there, he paused, setting the knife down. He lifted the bowl into the air and flipped it upside-down. Nothing came out. He even put his head under it to make sure nothing was stuck. He couldn't believe it. He had actually made dinner!

"Oh, good. You're finished," the blonde said, entering the room. "That was fast."

Vegeta looked around. So… now that dinner was made… How was he supposed to eat it?

"Now, I have a few other things for you to do," the blonde continued, and Vegeta's jaw hit the ground. There was still more? This woman was truly insane. How could females stand to do something this horrible every day of their lives? He was certainly glad that he had a mate who didn't seem to hate it so much. She had actually called this food-making _easy_. Lucky it was easy for her, because he was never doing this again for as long as he lived. "You made quite a mess over here," the blonde said, continuing to speak. Wasn't she done by now? "You're supposed to throw out these little pieces," she continued endlessly, picking up a few of the heads of the greens. That was stupid. Vegeta had never buried the heads of the enemies that he decapitated in all his life, and he wasn't about to start, especially in a kitchen. Plus, those had been the _blonde's_ enemies. He was happy to kill them for her, but he'd be damned before he sweated over their dead bodies because she had a conscience.

"What else is there to do?" he asked, hoping that the torturous tasks were almost over with.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be keeping you busy for a while. Dinner isn't going to be ready for at least another couple hours or so."

Vegeta watched helplessly as the world went blurry.


	31. Separated

**Chapter Thirty-One: Separated**

"So, sweetheart," Mrs. Briefs said, interrupting the awkward silence at the dinner table. "How was your trip with Vegeta? Did you have a good time?"

Mrs. Briefs was talking to her daughter, but her eyes had glued themselves to Vegeta. The same situation was upon Bulma's father as well. Bulma figured out her guardian angel's eating habits only a few days ago, and yet it still seemed like a surprise.

Food was gone in every instant. Plates and bowls of food were being emptied by the minute. Vegeta didn't seem to notice everyone staring at him, which Bulma thought was better than if he had noticed. The only problem was the upset look on her mother's face. She was either upset about not knowing that Vegeta was so hungry, or not knowing to prepare more food. Bulma decided to skip most of the delicious dishes because the hungry Saiyan was devouring everything as if he was the king of the house… or the prince.

Bulma knew that he didn't feel like that, though. His time with Frieza had been a harsh one, and he probably hadn't been treated like the prince he was since he was a small child. He probably even forgot what it was like to be a true prince. She instantly felt a pang of sympathy for him. He deserved this food as if he _was_ the prince of the house, and Bulma would want to have it any other way.

He had been thru so much in his past, and never once did she hear him complain about it. he acted arrogant and was always so stubborn, but he had so much more inside of him. so much more pain that he would never show, and so much more to give her, even if he'd never admit it.

She loved him with all her heart and body and soul. He was her life. He was her everything.

"It was great," she finally replied. Vegeta didn't take his eyes off his food as she spoke. She smiled in her head. "It was loads of fun, Mom. Maybe next time you should come," she joked.

Her mother faked a laugh so as not to make Bulma feel awkward about telling a lame joke. "No, no, no. I was quite surprised when Vegeta offered to help me cook dinner this evening. It was a lovely surprise. I thought for sure that you had sent him, but he said he came all by himself. You have quite a gentleman there, sweetheart. Don't let go of his one. He's a keeper."

Bulma recalled earlier in the day. She had asked Vegeta about marriage and he had thrown it back in her face. She appreciated the fact that he didn't know he hurt her heart when he said that. She knew he wouldn't have done it if he knew it would hurt her like it did.

What was so wrong with marriage anyway? Why wouldn't he want to get married to her? They loved each other. That much was painstakingly clear. And he said he'd never wan t another girl for as long as she lived. For as long as _he_ lived. So then, why wasn't marriage even an option for him? if he was bent on spending the rest of his life with her, then why was it such a big deal in his eyes? Maybe he was afraid of commitment. Bulma knew that guys generally had a rough time with commitment, especially arrogantly stubborn Saiyan princes. Maybe he just needed some time. She had all the time in the world to give to him. She just hoped that her parents were willing to wait as well.

Mr. Briefs and Mrs. Briefs needed to have a bit a relief before they died. And that little bit of relief came with an heir to Capsule Corporation's business. If they passed on without Bulma having a child, then they would be disappointed in her. Bulma didn't believe in the Afterlife, but if there really was and existing one, then her parents would frown down on her, and she wouldn't be able to live with that. All she could do was hope dearly that all Vegeta needed was some time to think it over.

She glanced at her man and realized that, currently, nothing was on his mind but the piles of shrimp scampi, and white rice and soy sauce entering his mouth. Maybe she'd bring it up later…

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"Why are we here again?" Bulma asked.

"To look for the Dragon Balls. I recommend that we start as soon as possible before Frieza tracks us back to Earth. I doubt this is the first place he'll look, but every space pod leaves a trail, and that doesn't neglect to include yours. How many do we have already?"

Bulma walked over to her dresser and peered inside. She lifted the pink shirt up that was meant to hide them from her parents, should they have come snooping while she was gone, to find the precious items that they had started searching for way back when. It felt like she had met Vegeta years ago when they were looking for the Dragon Balls. But, in fact, it had only been a little short from four months.

"We have five out of seven," she answered. "Only two to go. The Dragon Radar is here as well,"  
she said, pulling it out to show him, "So we shouldn't have any problems finding them."

"You."

"Excuse me?"

" _You_ shouldn't have any problems finding them."

"Thanks, Vegeta, but without the Radar, you'd have a pretty rough time finding—"

"You're not getting it, are you? I'm not coming with you. You're going to find the remaining Dragon Balls and make the wish to get rid of Frieza while I stay here and train. Your father has offered for me to use a gravity chamber that he built while we were gone, and I'm going to use it in case you can't find the Dragon Balls in time."

"But… that's not safe, is it? I mean, if Frieza comes here and he comes after me instead of you… I'll be…"

"Defenseless. Don't remind me. You know fucking well that I don't want to leave you unguarded, woman, but it has to be done." Bulma sighed. She knew that had been his way of telling her that he cared, minus the cursing at her. "I'll be able to tell if anyone is entering the atmosphere, especially a giant energy signal such as Frieza's. And he isn't a Saiyan, so it's impossible for him to suppress his energy signal. If I feel him coming, I'll come straight to you. And I can guarantee that I'll beat him to you. He still wants to fight me, and I doubt he'd try to take you while I'm coming for him. So you don't have to worry about being unguarded."

"What if I'm attacked by a bear or something? Frieza is certainly a threat, but there are plenty of other things that can hurt me, you know."

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to hope that you don't run into anything dangerous, now won't we?" he said, a bit of an edge to his voice. She knew by that edge that he would worry about her nonetheless, but if they didn't do this, then they would likely be killed anyway. It had to be done.

Bulma nodded, not chancing to see if her voice was going to fail her or not. Her emotions might have caused her voice to crack or not work altogether.

"I don't want to deal with this as much as you, woman, but we can't change it. I hope you know that."

Bulma just wanted him to shut up already. He didn't need to say anymore, despite the fact that he was only trying to make her feel better.

"When should I leave?" she asked, thankful that her voice came out of her mouth, even as quiet as it had come.

"Immediately. And you need to hurry. No pressure, but it falls on you whether we have enough time or not. You need to leave right now. Take the Radar and go. If your parents say anything, I'll handle them. Just worry about making that wish and doing it before a threat reaches this planet. I'll keep a lock on your signal in case something does happen, but avoid trouble unless necessary. Got it?"

Bulma nodded again. She knew for sure that her voice wouldn't be helpful to her for a second time in one day. She gripped the Radar and grabbed a bag from her closet. She threw the Dragon Balls into the bag and a change of clothes. She hoped she wouldn't need much more than that.

"I'll go get some food and water from the kitchen, and then I'll take the Capsule bike. I'll take less time that way," she said, and Vegeta just nodded. "I promise I'll see you later…"

Watching her leave the room as he sat on the bed, Vegeta realized the promise she had just made. He hated not being able to protect her when he knew that a true, life-threatening danger was on its way to this planet. Frieza could be in the atmosphere in a minute or a week. And it bothered the hell out of Vegeta that he had no idea how to prepare for it. All he could do was train, but it posed so many problems. He couldn't train too hard because then he'd have to heal. And if Frieza came while he was healing… He didn't even want to think about it, because all that would come into his mind was what would happen to his mate. The other problem was, even if Frieza came in one year, Vegeta didn't know if he was strong enough to fight him off and kill him. He knew damn well that, when the time for a fight came to his doorstep, it was kill or be killed. He didn't know if he could kill his previous master. When he was under the slimy bastard's command, he had always believed it was impossible… He hoped he had been wrong.

"See you later," he quietly mumbled, long after his woman was out of earshot. He stood up and located the male parent's energy signal.

It was time to train.

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Bulma quietly made her way to the kitchen and grabbed some food for herself. She packed enough for two days after checking the Dragon Radar. It shouldn't take more than a day and a half to reach her destinations by bike, especially since Capsule Corporation's bikes had motors. She wouldn't even have to pedal to get anywhere, and the gas tank was huge. Plus, the mileage was better than any vehicle in the world. It was no wonder her company was at the top of the market. Her father practically owned a monopoly when it came to the products that he created and built all by himself. Well, sometimes Bulma helped, but it didn't count towards too much.

She grabbed seven water bottles and set out for the front door.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" her mother called from behind, scaring Bulma.

"What?" she asked quickly, turning around and forcing a small smile.

"I asked where you're going, darling. You're packing all this food and water. I guessed that maybe you and Vegeta were going on a picnic. Am I right?"

"Actually," Bulma said slyly, her brain working ferociously for a believable lie that her mother would fall for. The last thing she needed was to tell her mother that she was going off alone with a mass murderer after her, and that she was leaving without Vegeta, risking her life to try and save the two of them. So, she was racking her brain for a good lie. "Vegeta isn't coming with me. He said I should go have a day by myself. I'm not going far, Mom. Just down the trails in the backyard. I don't know what he's talking about, but he said that he'll do the work today because I do too much. I honestly don't think I do that much work. I barely do anything, right Mom?"

"Sweetheart! You do _way_ too much work. If Vegeta wants you to have a day off your feet, then that's what you're going to do. Do you understand me, young lady? You take this picnic and go relax by yourself. Let Vegeta handle things for a day or two!" Her mother's stern and demanding glare proved that Bulma's plan had worked to perfection, but still… Maybe she could do a little more so her mother wouldn't start to worry when Vegeta turned out to be training instead of working around the house.

"Mom, don't worry. I'll only be gone for an hour or so. I'll be right back."

"No, no, no, no, no! You get your butt out that door, young lady! And don't even think about coming back before tomorrow night. I want you to get off your feet and relax. Don't make me get Vegeta in here! I know he'll side with me."

"Alright, alright. Calm down, Mom. But I won't be any later than tomorrow night. I promise."

"No, don't promise. You take as long as you need, darling. Take a little extra time if you think you need it. take an entire week if you want it."

"That's a little much, don't you think?"

"Not for my special daughter. And certainly not for Vegeta's hard worker. Although, now that you mention it, you might want to come back after a couple days instead of a week. Vegeta might miss your… _company_."

"Mom!"

"I know, I know. You're bashful. I thought we got over that already."

"MOM!"

"Alright. I'm sorry, sweetheart. Calm down. I didn't know it bothered you so much. If it'll make you feel better than I'll stop, okay?"

"Thank you!" Bulma said, turning around to head back towards the front door. And then she realized that she might not come back… "Mom…" she said softly, not bothering to turn to look at the blonde woman. "I love you." And then she was jogging, holding in the tears that were refusing to stay inside of her. She made it to the door and turned on the Radar. She grabbed the capsule for the Capsule bike from her father's garage and headed west, towards the trail in her backyard.

She suddenly felt heated eyes on her back and turned to find Vegeta looking at her from a window. Bulma solemnly waved and he nodded in return. Then he was gone, and Bulma turned back to the dense woods. She hoped her hadn't seen her tears. They weren't just for her mother and father anymore. Now they were for Vegeta. That nod could be the last time she could ever see his beautiful face. she tried not to think of suicide missions, and instead think of how to save herself and the man she loved from the evil lizard that was coming to kill them. She wanted nothing more than to have all this done and over with so she could live the rest of her life in peace with Vegeta. That was all she wanted, and she would have given anything in the world to make her wish a reality.

She would miss the adventures and being rescued by her guardian angel, but it was worth it to be safe in his arms. That was enough for her. To just be held by him. To feel his chest rise and fall as she woke up in the morning, laying on top of him. And then to take care of their children together until they were blessed with grandchildren. And then to spoil them so much that their parents, Bulma's children, would yell at them to stop giving them candy and toys.

It wasn't until after her thoughts had come to a close that she realized that she had actually been thinking about children with Vegeta. Was that what she truly wanted? Children? She loved Vegeta, but she never even thought of raising a family with him. She knew her parents wanted her to have children and would certainly approve of her thoughts, but she never really gave it much thought if it ever really happened… especially with Vegeta. Would _he_ even approve? He'd probably hate children, she concluded, laughing out loud. She didn't mind making a loud noise such as a good and true laugh. There was no one around but her. She checked the Radar again and decided that she was far enough away from her house to take out the Capsule bike.

Throwing the capsule into the air, it exploded and turned into the Capsule bike. Bulma hoped on, started the motor, set the Radar on top so she could see it as she drove, and headed farther west, in the direction of the first Dragon Ball.

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Vegeta entered the gravity chamber reluctantly. Was it even worth it to try and train for as long of a time as he was going to be given? He might have only a single day. Was it worth training for one day to put his mate's safety in jeopardy?

He felt bad about lying to her. He really did. But he knew damn well that both Captain Ginyu and Frieza were faster than him when it came to flying long distances. If they came before she found the Dragon Balls and made the wish… he wouldn't be able to get to her in time to save her…

He knew that if he had told her this, she wouldn't have gone without him. He just had to lie. It was the only way that she'd leave. He also knew that if Ginyu came, he would go after his woman first, knowing that he was very much faster than Vegeta. But if Frieza came, he would go for the challenge first, and take his prize when he was finished. The difference would be strategic for Ginyu, following his orders from Frieza and not wanting to disappoint his master. The difference for Frieza would be his overconfidence and need to make his opponent feel powerless. He would come after Vegeta first and explain what he was going to do with his "prize" when he had killed Vegeta.

The thought of that goddamn lizard laying a slimy finger on his mate's body made his blood boil to a dangerous temperature. It made him angrier than he ever thought was possible. He would destroy anything that dared to hurt her. Rape? _Rape_?! If that fucking bastard wanted someone to rape he could go fuck himself! Although he'd probably enjoy that… disgusting _fool_. His woman's life was more important than his own pathetic existence. He was nothing more than another useless being without her. He would only be the prince of a dead Saiyan race without her. He would be nothing. She gave his life meaning, and he would obliterate anything that threated something that meant so much to him. He would _kill_ Frieza. _He would kill him!_

Vegeta jumped… What was that? He almost felt like his entire figure was on fire for a split second there… and he could have sworn that he saw a golden spark come out of his body…

"And that's it. Do you understand?"

Vegeta looked up to find that Mr. Briefs was finished with his explanation on how to use the gravity chamber. He had understood most of it, but his thoughts had been somewhere else for almost all of the single-sided conversation. He figured he could manage with the information that he had gathered from when he had actually been paying any sort of attention to the old man.

"Yes," he said in reply. Mr. Briefs nodded his agreement and walked out of the chamber, shutting the door on his way out.

Vegeta turned to the switch in the middle platform inside the huge chamber. It wasn't nearly as cramped as the space pod. Here, there was plenty of room to jump round and properly train. And if he had heard correctly, a one point, then there was also a button that set bots to a certain difficulty that attacked any bio-form inside the chamber, namely Vegeta. Plus, they were impervious to the gravity, so he could train and dodge at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone was his favorite hobby… just there were no birds or stones in the gravity chamber…

He set the gravity to one hundred percent and felt his weight dramatically increase as he fell to the ground on his knees. It certainly had been a while since the last time he trained…

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The heat in the room was horrible. They felt like they would suffocate if they stayed in this room any longer. It was damp from the previous day's rain, and the humidity made it difficult to breathe. They knew that the vessel had taken off a couple hours ago from the start of the engines, and they had overheard someone say that they were finally leaving Planet Aaraa. They didn't know what planet that was. They had never even heard of such a place, but they also overheard that a group of three people had to be rushed to the medical bay. Two survived, but the other one…

The chains on their wrists had been digging into their fragile skin for the past few days. And even though they knew that they could easily break the chains, they didn't dare. They knew what would happen to them if they tried to escape. They were lucky right now. They were being left alone. But if they showed any signs of trying to escape, such as getting out of their chains… the result made painful shivers escalate up their spines at nauseating speeds.

The taller man's tongue was dry. He opened his eyes a little to squint I the dim light. It seemed enough to burn his eyes. He hadn't been given water for the past twenty-four hours. But he had nothing to complain about. The disgusting taste in his mouth, the headache-inducing heat all around him, the chains digging into the skin on his wrist… It was bearable compared to what could have been.

As for the shorter man, his mouth was far from dry. Dirt was uncomfortably between his teeth and scraping under his tongue. But the reason for the lack of dryness in his mouth was that his jaw was broken and the blood had refused to stop flowing into his mouth for the past few hours, now. He was covered in sweat, and he was still panting slowly from the tortuous endurance that he had to go through hours ago. The dried blood was smeared over his bare chest and had hardened in his once beautifully set hair. His shoulders hurt like a bitch from being held up so long from the chains. He, by far, had taken the brunt of both their punishments.

The taller man's mind was in a fog. His head drooped. It dangled as if on a thin wire that could snap at any moment. A fear went through him at the thought of lifting his head to look around. It was better if he stayed put and dealt with the pain. He knew he wouldn't be bothered as much if he pretended to be unconscious. And then, a sharp pain in his side caused him to lift his head up and gasp in pain. He had tried to inhale too deeply. He thought maybe it would have gone away by now, but he knew it probably hadn't been that long since he sustained the injury. His whole body hurt. He throbbed everywhere. It felt as if he had just been beaten with a thick club. He didn't like the pain. He hated it. He wanted nothing more than to get out of here and go back to his once peaceful life of pampering and spoiling. He liked being spoiled. But this… this was too much. He couldn't bear it.

And then the door opened. Both men looked at who was approaching them, but their fear escalated to new heights when they saw who it was. The only thing they could think of was " _No. Please, not again. Please_." It was the same thought for both of them.

But when their captor took another step forward, there was no pain. Only the horrible noise of his voice entering their fragile ears without warning.

"Do you know why you're here, boys?" their captor asked, holding a towel that he had brought with him. neither men could guess why he would need a towel.

Both men nodded their heads vigorously. They were all too happy to comply with whatever their captor wanted. They would answer every question honestly and without hesitation if it meant that their captor might let them go free. It was all they wanted. _Freedom_ was all they wanted.

"Good. And who would like to tell me why they're here, hmm?"

Both men looked at each other. They had been friends. They had been close companions before all this happened to them. But their conditions made them mortal enemies. Water and food was given to them once per day, if they were lucky, and they had to decide who got what. But when they started getting one glass of water per day, and the taller man always preyed on the shorter man's generosity… things began to get ugly. It was a race to see who would be freed first so that they could laugh at the other in pure mockery.

Because of these conditions, both men tried to answer the question before the other, resulting in loud voices trying to overpower the other. The consequence was devastating. The shorter man had a knife held to his throat, and the taller man watched as it sliced into the man he once called his best friend. It wasn't enough to kill him. Just to make him suffer. The blood poured out as the shorter man gagged. In his panic, he broke his chains and threw a wild and untimed fist at his captor. The captor walked around to the back of the shorter man, watching the taller man's reaction to what he was doing. He jammed a knee between the shorter man's shoulder blades. He grabbed his bloodstained hair and yanked his head back. The knife came around to the man's throat as he took another slice at it. The taller man knew that this one was fatal.

It stopped the shorter man from fighting, from struggling in the captor's iron grip. The knife then came around to stab the man through the back. His head was released and he looked down at himself. The front of the bloody knife was erected from his gut. He watched the blood trickle down to form a puddle of blood between his legs it soaked into his pants. He felt so wet…

And then he noticed, as if it was some kind of cruel joke, his throat. As he knelt, stiff and still, his wide eyes stared down at his pink, glistening insides slowly bulging out of the gash along his throat. The captor grabbed the man's hair again to hold up his head. The taller man watched as his once-called friend gasped his last breath, thrashing in uncoordinated movements as their captor sawed the large knife back and forth across the shorter man's exposed throat.

When it was all over, the captor growled with the effort of heaving the weight of the lifeless corpse onto the floor in front of him. The taller man looked away from the pile of blood forming on the cement floor before hearing the dead thump of the body hitting the unforgiving ground.

"So," the captor said, wiping his hands off on the towel he had brought with him. He threw it onto the floor and eyed the taller man with a playful smile that could have killed him on the spot. "I guess you can answer my question now. Why are you here?"

"We didn't follow your orders," the man replied hastily.

"What were those order and how did you fail to complete them?" he asked, as if he was an elementary school teacher asking a shy boy a question on simple mathematics.

"You asked us to bring you the Saiyan prince's mate and kill the Saiyan prince. We failed because we didn't bring you the correct female and the Saiyan Prince is still alive."

"Burter, why do you look so afraid of everything? I'm not going to hurt you. Don't you know that?" he said reassuringly, and the taller man nodded forcefully, refusing to meet his captor's eyes.

"Of course, Master Frieza," he said softly.

"Really?" the captor asked, "Is that what you believe?"

The taller man gasped as a new knife was slammed into his stomach. He doubled over, not helping but to break his chains as he fell to his knees. he heard his captor laugh.

"I hate getting involved in my own business," he said with a laugh, jerking the knife out of the taller man's stomach and watching the blood swiftly ooze out of him with amusement written all over his face. "But it appears that I have no choice. Although I certainly hope that your team's leader can do a better job than you… Or I guess he'll just have to join you."

And then he was gone, slamming the door behind him. The taller man gurgled as blood came up his throat.


	32. The First Arrival

**Chapter Thirty-Two: The First Arrival**

Bulma wandered around the woods in a hurry. The first Dragon Ball was hiding from her and she was in no mood for a game of hide-and-seek. Vegeta had made it clear that she needed to hurry the hell up before time ran out or there was no hope for either of them. But thorn bushes and thick underbrush were everywhere, and the Dragon Radar was pointing to about one foot ahead of her. Where was the goddamn Dragon Ball?!

What would happen to her if she didn't find it in time? What if Frieza came to Earth and she was still stuck finding the first Dragon Ball? She didn't want the thought to cross her mind, but Vegeta probably sent her out here because he wasn't sure of himself when it came to killing that murderer. That meant that if she didn't make the wish soon enough, Vegeta could end up losing that battle. And she could end up as a play-toy for a homicide-crazy bastard. The thing she didn't want to think about was what would happen to her if all of her previous thoughts came true. Rape was just brushing the surface of what she would have to endure. What if she was passed around like some cheap whore? And without Vegeta… Without Vegeta, her world was nothing.

"Come on, you stupid piece of crap," Bulma said heatedly. This was no time to be worrying about what could happen. Now was the time to focus on the solution to the problem, and not the problem itself. She could do this. All she had to do was pull herself together and find this freaking Dragon Ball before all her time was wasted worrying over what _could_ happen.

She could be completely wrong. Maybe Vegeta was strong enough to take Frieza down. She knew he was strong, but she didn't know how strong… But then again, he claimed before that it was pure luck that he beat Recoome back when Yamcha…

She ferociously shook her head back and forth and looked over the ground one foot ahead of her. If that was where the Dragon Ball was, then she was probably cursed with something before she left her house. A giant patch of thorn bushes were directly one foot ahead of her. She could barely see the thick stalks coming out of the ground thru the smaller stalks that reached up as if to snatch at her clothes and skin.

But as she had already decided, she had no time to waste. The Dragon Ball was somewhere down there, and standing there looking for it wasn't going to put it in her hand. It seemed to be underground, and staring at the dirt wasn't going to get the thorn bushes to grow legs and move for her. It wasn't that deep either. She thought she could see a small orange glow beneath some of the soil. She instantly wished she had brought a shovel and a pocket knife with her.

What had she been thinking when she packed her bag? That this was going to be a camping trip? All she packed was clothes, food and water. That was pathetic. She hadn't been thinking correctly. She should have known that the Dragon Balls weren't going to lie still in the middle of a wide open field and shine at her until she picked it up and made her merry way home.

She forced herself to stop thinking about that. Thinking about a knife and shovel weren't going to make them magically appear right in front of her. All she could do was think of a way to get the Dragon Ball instead of wishing for things she didn't have, or had no hope of getting. She had to think of a way to do it without the aid of things back home.

Bulma picked up a thick stick next to her, but it broke in half. The inside was damp and rotted. Bulma dropped it quickly, taking a quick glance at all the bugs that had called that stick home for the past few days or so.

She guessed she had been smart making the decision to wear sneakers and long pants. She made her first move and stepped on one of the smaller stalks. She got a look at the sharp thorns and shivered. The last thing she wanted to do was take a dive into the bush. She would have scars all over her until the day she died. And scars and Bulma never agreed on anything. They were like deadly enemies, in the thick of battle until the end of the world arrived to save them.

She took another delicate step, trapping another thorn stalk to the ground below her feet. Then she dared to lift her right foot, but let out a relieved breath when the previous thorn stalk stayed on the ground. It rose an inch or two, but it stayed down. Bulma bent at her waist and tried to reach for the orange shine that she thought was the Dragon Ball, but her finger tips didn't even get a couple inches away. She had to get closer if she was to reach her target. She lifted her left foot, allowing the thorns to rise up and stick to the back of her right pant leg. She felt trapped and tangled, but she didn't let herself feel afraid. She had to get this Dragon Ball. That's all there was to it.

She took another fragile step, feeling the thorns move with her as they continued to stick to her pant legs. Luckily, none had reached her skin beneath the thick denim of the jeans she was wearing. She was thankful for her mother picking out most of her clothing. Her jean looked amazing on her legs and ass, and they were even thorn-proof. She would have to remember to give her mom a big fat hug when she got home…

When she got home. If that even happened…

 _Stop it!_ she told herself forcefully. Of course she was going to go home after all of this was over and done with. She was going to get rid of the threat she called Frieza, and then she was going to give both her parents a huge, warm hug. Then she was going to run head-first into Vegeta, since knocking him over was never an option, and hug him, too. Whether he liked it or not.

"Come _on_ ," she said, reaching for the Dragon Ball again. She was still too far away to even lay her fingertips on it, and if she bent anymore, her stomach would be impaled by thorns. And, unlike her pants, her shirt was thin, and the thorns would go straight thru to the delicate flesh on her stomach.

She took another step and yelped when a thorn stalk began to go up her pants, sticking to the skin on her ankle. She tried to shake it off, but it only made it worse.

Trying to ignore it, she took another step with the opposite foot, leaning forward so the nearest thorn stalk lay right below her stomach. She didn't want to push forward anymore, but if she dealt with the thorns in her stomach, she would be able to reach the Dragon Ball and get it out of the ground. If she dealt with the stupid thorns, she could start to look for the last Dragon Ball. And if she did it quick enough, then it would all be worth it. Her life and Vegeta's life were much more important than a few thorns in her stomach. Besides, the wounds on her stomach would eventually heal, but the wound to her heart if Vegeta was so forcefully ripped away from her would never heal. Even time wouldn't be able to heal her heart. Only death would bring sweet release to her, and she would end up praying for it every morning and every day for the rest of her life. It wouldn't be too long before death enveloped her, anyway, if Frieza took her to do with what he pleased.

"Oww!" she said, feeling the thorn dig deeper into the skin on her ankle as she bent forward ever more. It bothered her that it was right on top of her bone and that stupid vain that seemed to always be right below her skin. She felt so vulnerable to nature's attacks that it was a bit frightening.

Every move she man was planned and careful. She didn't want to cause herself more pain than what was clearly going to be necessary. She dared to take a step with the foot that had the thorns in her skin. She yelped and put her foot back down when the thorns threatened to dig even deeper and scratch across her delicate flesh. She felt a tear run down her face, but brushed it off with the back of her hand. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut before forcing her legs to move forward. She held in a scream that was warning her not to open her mouth as the thorn stalk came loose after scraping across her skin and popping out. Unfortunately, the thorns stayed in her ankle as the stalk made its unforgiving escape.

"Oh, suck it up, Bulma," she hopefully said, trying to give her body some encouragement to move and deal with the pain. "Vegeta could handle so much more than this. He would never let a little thorn take this much out of him. But you're whining and complaining like a child. You have to be strong, Bulma. This isn't just about you, remember? This is about everyone. If I stop Frieza now, then he won't be able to hurt anyone ever again for all of eternity. I could be saving millions of lives. No, I _will_ be saving millions of lives. And I'll be saving many others from torturous deaths and the agony of losing people that they love. This undoubtedly isn't just about me. And if I can't save all those people from the horrible pain that Frieza gives, then I'm not worthy to live either!"

Bulma pushed forward and felt the pain of all the thorns digging into her delicate flesh. She could feel the blood trailing its way down her legs and arms. There was more on her legs, but that wasn't the point. Still, stupid little thoughts like those kept entering her head unexpectedly.

Bulma reached for the Dragon Ball one last time and gripped it tightly in her left hand, feeling the sharp pain of a thorn under her armpit. She yelped, but the feeling of the Dragon Ball finally in her hands overpowered it. She was too happy to worry about the thorns anymore… Or was she?

Bulma growled. She had been so busy getting into the bush that she forgot to push the stalks to the ground so she would have a way out as well. She sighed and took a careful step backwards… and fell.

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He had to move. He had to get his body to act. Or _re_ act. All he knew that he was going to be shoved to the ground if he didn't do _something_. The gravity was too powerful for him to stop dodging the machines attacks now. He would be shot down. And these damn things didn't quit until it couldn't feel anything living inside the chamber anymore. He had to destroy them or be destroyed.

 _What was that?!_

Vegeta's senses dulled to the atmosphere around him as he sensed fear coming from _her_. She was in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them. No! He had to concentrate. She would be fine. No one was around her. He made sure of that. He was even careful to make sure that Earthlings didn't come near her. If he thought she was in trouble, he would have to leave.

"Shit!" he growled under his breath, barely managing to dodge that last attack from the farthest bot on his right. He had to focus or he was done for.

Gathering an energy blast in his hand, he turned his palm towards the machine and fired. Almost instantly after the bot hit the ground, the loud speaker came on with the old man's voice.

"Hey! Watch it in there! Those bots cost lots of money. More than you could make in your lifetime. Try not to make them irreparable, will you?" He sounded pissed. Vegeta shrugged to himself. The bots started it…

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Bulma froze, not wanting to move. Moving would only make it worse. But she couldn't just lay there. She had to get up and find the last Dragon Ball. There was only one remaining. One to go. It was one more and this nightmare would all be over.

But still, the thorns cutting deep into her back were hard to ignore. On wrong move and they might slice the wrong way. They already hurt like a bitch, but moving and readjusting the thorns wasn't going to make her feel any better about her situation. Nothing would.

Why couldn't Vegeta have come with her in the first place? If they had so little time to prepare, then what was a bit of training going to do? Vegeta couldn't gain universal power in less than a week… If they even had that much time. Five days was stretching it, based on her information. Vegeta could have incinerated the thorn bush with no problem, but no. He had to send her off by herself. All alone. It was as if he knew they were going to die anyway. What even bother trying to save their own lives?

The first answer her mind came up with was painful to think about. What would Frieza do if he found himself on this planet after both she and Vegeta had been taken care of… murdered? It was a beautiful planet compared to the other desolate places she had seen lately. Would Frieza try and purge the planet? Would he make the people of Earth suffer? Would he make her parents suffer?

Why was she doing this to herself?! Why couldn't she just be strong? Why couldn't she be strong for Vegeta? If he sent her off alone for this mission, it was for a good reason. She knew him well enough to be able to say that about him. Everything he did was for a reason. What about her parents? They didn't even know about Frieza and his evil plans for their daughter. They would never see him coming if she failed. They wouldn't stand a chance. Not in a million years.

She couldn't whine and moan about this! This was the most important time in her life to act, and she was laying there, moping about how unfortunate things would go, lest she fail.

With all her strength, Bulma shoved her arms down, feeling the sharp pain of the thorns in the flesh on her palms as she lifted herself out of the bush. She stood back up and pushed through, trying her best to ignore every new thorn. Every new scratch. Every new pain.

"It's now or never, Bulma Briefs!" she said, "Let's go!"

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Vegeta went into an instant rage. He could almost feel himself reaching his limits. But it was as if he was literally feeding off of his mate's fear. He could sense her from such a distance and he was being powered by what she was feeling. It was insane. He never thought it could happen as it was.

And there was that damn spark again.

What, was he going to catch on fire or something? Those cursed embers were driving him insane. It was like he was catching on fire, they were so hot against his skin. He wanted nothing more than for it to go away and leave him be. It was disrupting his training, and he didn't take lightly to that. And yet…

He could feel his power spike as he fed off of his woman's newfound determination. Something had happened to her in that instant. Whether it was some sort of epiphany or something, Vegeta didn't care. She was giving him energy and that was all that mattered. He didn't even care how she was doing it, or if it was happening because of him. Maybe something inside him was the cause. All he wanted was for it to stay with him and come to his aid when he needed it. That was all. This was immense power, and he had the funny feeling that it could dramatically increase his power level in the blink of an eye.

He pointed a fist at the two remaining bots. Opening his hand to reveal bright energy on his palm, he fired the blast at the bot closest to him. It hit the ground with a low screech and blew out in its utter defeat at the hands of Prince Vegeta. He chuckled to himself at the old man's tone. He was yelling at him again. He guessed he was just lucky that the gravity chamber didn't have a camera, otherwise he'd be getting a much bigger lecture than the one he was currently receiving from the old geezer.

He could feel her triumphant energy and could only guess that she had found the first of the two remaining Dragon Balls. Thank the non-existent Gods! Maybe they could actually do this. Maybe it wasn't too late! His own emotions reached an all-time high as his determination spiked and plateaued. There was no downhill from here. They had a good chance at this. They were going to win. He could feel it coursing throughout his body. He could feel everything. He could feel her empowering presence as if she was standing directly next to him… It was almost over.

The end was near.

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Bulma cautiously picked the thorns out of her body and then went along her merry way. Unfortunately, a few thorns had got themselves tuck in the bottom of her shoes, and by the time she got them all out, a couple had left wounds on the soles of her feet. It would be difficult to walk, but she could manage.

She pulled out the Dragon Radar as she put her most recent find into her backpack with the rest of the Dragon Balls. It was almost over. One to go. That was a constant thought in her mind. Only one to go, and she and Vegeta and Earth and many other innocent lives would be saved. They would be free.

She wouldn't have to watch her back every second of her life. She wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open. She wouldn't be startled by the smallest, most insignificant of noises anymore. She would be able to be with Vegeta, and there would be no one to scare her with tiny noises but him. And that was what she preferred. No one would be able to sneak up on her ever again because Vegeta would be there watching over her and protecting her. Sheltering her in his warm embraces. He was everything to her and she was going to save him now. It seemed ironic, after all they had put each other through, and all the times he had saved her ass… It was ironic that now she was the one backing him up. Gathering the Dragon Balls and getting rid of Frieza with the wish was considered _her_ saving _his_ ass. It was a lovely opportunity. That was for sure. Bulma couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Vegeta would have to pay her back _big_ time, baby!

Just then, something about the Dragon Radar caught Bulma's attention. She stared at the Radar's green screen in shock. _No_. It couldn't be…

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Vegeta made for the last bot in a bit of a rush. He knew his own power, and this bot was no match for him. It was unfortunate that the gravity didn't go up anymore. He didn't know the reason, and frankly, he didn't care, but he found it strange. Even with his current power, or what he thought was his current power level, the gravity should have been too much for his weakened body to handle. It was weakened because of his lack of training. It was nothing to laugh at. Not training for so long should have made his soft and plushy like a pillow, but somehow… that hadn't happened. It was as if his training never ceased. It was as if he was the most powerful he had ever been. and he was nowhere near a plateau. He could surpass himself. He _would_ surpass himself.

And something else confused him. It seemed as if his mate's previous emotions had done something to his body that he was only now recognizing. She had had a tremendous effect on his power level. So much, that it scared even him. It was frightening that an Earthling female could have such an effect on a Saiyan…

Striking down the final bot, Vegeta shut off the gravity and grabbed his towel, heading for the exit. Wiping the shine from his chest, he came face-to-face with the old man as soon as the door lifted open from the ceiling.

"What in the world— Do you have any idea how much that's going to cost me?!"

"No, and I don't care either. But what I do care about is the fact that they're broken. I need you to fix them and bring me three more new ones that won't go easy on me. Have them ready in an hour."

"Say what? You've got to be joking? Vegeta, you're kidding me, right? This better be some kind of joke or game, because there's no way you'll even get one bot in an hour. You wouldn't even be able to get a single new bot within the week! I told you them were expensive, didn't I?! I know I did! Maybe next time, you'll listen to me when I tell you something!"

"What? You don't actually believe that I'm just going to accept that, do you? I need those bots, and I need them in one fucking hour! Do you understand me, old man? Well? I certainly hope you do, because if you don't, there will be serious consequences—"

Vegeta stopped talking and focused. No. Not now. It hadn't even been one day yet, for crying out loud! Where was he headed? Damn! He knew he wouldn't be able to reach her in time to warn her. In fact, she might even get some alone time with him before he arrived at her side. Shit, he violently thought, feeling his blood rise to dangerous temperatures. If she was injured in any way by the time he got there… so help whoever did anything to her, they were _dead_! He would see to that _personally_.

"I have to leave immediately!" he said, and dashed through the house, leaving Mr. Briefs in a fuming rage behind him. Not remembering exactly where the exits were, he blasted a hole in the ceiling and flew upwards toward the darkening sky above him. He located his woman's energy signal in a flash and took off at high speeds. No matter what happened, he hoped to anyone who would listen that she would be okay by the time he arrived…

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Bulma looked at the Dragon Radar insistently. _What in the world is going on here?_ she thought anxiously, looking around for good measure. The Dragon Ball had been in one spot almost three second ago… And now it was moving at what looked to be over two hundred miles per hour based on the distance that the Radar was giving her. But that wasn't the part that made her nervous. She was tense because it was heading straight for her!

Although she didn't mind not having to travel so many miles to her destination, what worried her was the cause of its intense speed. Whatever it was, she knew it couldn't be human, or even anything human-made. Even if it was a Capsule Corporation-made device, such as a space vessel, it wouldn't be able to move this fast unless it was in outer space. And if it was a drone of some kind, then it wouldn't be capable of such speed.

Whatever it was, Bulma felt like it was her right to tremble before it arrived. If it wasn't a man-made machine or other sort of device, then it must be organic. And the only organic things that could move that fast, that she knew of, were Vegeta and other species that had abilities like his. It was Freiza. There was no doubt in her mind about that. But then, where could she hide?

Looking around desperately, she considered the thorn bushes, but he would be able to get rid of them with one blast… and she would be a goner as well in that case. Plus, he could feel her, so the entire idea was hopeless. Her only defense was Vegeta.

She tried to calm herself down. Vegeta made her a promise. He would have sensed Frieza coming way before she had even noticed. He was probably flying to her right now, as she thought about all this. He would be flying at top speed to reach her in time. He wouldn't let her down. She just knew it. He would be here to protect her. She had nothing to fear from Frieza. Vegeta would be able to beat him. She believed in him. She knew he could do it.

She had little to worry about, she concluded, ignore her shaking knees. Vegeta said that he would meet up with her before any enemies did. And he wouldn't lie about something like that… would he?

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No. This couldn't be happening. Not now. It was too early. Vegeta flew as fast as he could manage without wasting unnecessary energy. How fast could that monster be? They just got here! They hadn't even been on the planet for a single day! Less than twelve hours, to be more precise. How could he have gotten here so fast?

And that's when he finally noticed it.

This feeling was familiar. It was _too_ familiar. This energy wasn't coming from Frieza. It was someone else. This was the energy of someone he could beat. This was the energy of a stinking loser. He chuckled to himself. He was stronger than he imagined. This would be a piece of cake. This wouldn't take any time at all. He snickered, letting a small smile drift over his face.

But still, his mate was an Earthling female. She could be harmed by the man. He still had to hurry. But Ginyu wasn't a fool. Frieza wanted her alive. He wouldn't dare kill her without the proper permission. All he had to do was get there in time. All he hoped was that his woman knew how to stall for time…

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Bulma looked again at the Dragon Radar. Maybe, if Frieza gave her the Dragon Ball, she could manage to make the wish before he did anything to her. Since he seemed to be carrying the final Dragon Ball with him, on his way to her…

Bulma suddenly found a form of encouragement. All she had to do was trick him into thinking that she was going to go with him nicely, and then she would grab the Dragon Ball and make the wish. He wouldn't see it coming. He'd be gone before he ever had the chance to react. All she had to do was get him to trust her enough to let his guard down for one second. And then that would be it. Frieza was about to make his final mistake. She mentally laughed. To think, that Frieza was going to fall at her feet instead of someone more powerful than him. She always knew that brains were better than brawn. She was about to outsmart the most powerful man in the entire universe!

Vegeta would be proud of her and pissed at the same time for stealing his prey. She couldn't wait. She now _wanted_ Frieza to come to her. She wanted to prove that she was better than that brute. She was going to show the world what Bulma Briefs could do. This was her time to shine. _Not_ Vegeta's.

She was about to prove herself worthy of having Vegeta by her side for the rest of her undisturbed and sheltered life.


	33. Loss of Faith

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Loss of Faith**

Bulma stood still, hers eyes glued to the screen of the Dragon Radar, awaiting Frieza's arrival. She knew her plan like the back of her hand. It couldn't fail. She was the smartest human on the Earth. She would use that to her advantage. Frieza had the final Dragon Ball. This was going to work. All she would have to do is snatch it. She was going to pretend that she was going to go with him willingly and not put up a fight. And just when he let his guard down, she would make her deadly move and make the wish that would fix everything. She felt almost excited.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of folded paper. Unfolding it, she read it to herself. Satisfied with what was on it, she folded it back up and held it tightly in her left hand.

She knew that Vegeta was probably coming for her, but she hoped that he would give her just enough time to save the world all on her own. He would be so shocked. He wouldn't believe his eyes. He was going to be so proud of her. She could just feel his warm lips on hers after this was all done and over with. She wanted nothing more than to have Frieza gone and be in Vegeta's arms for the rest of her life. He meant so much to her.

He was her heart. He was her soul. He was her everything.

She wouldn't live without him and she wouldn't live with him. But she loved him more than life itself. She would give anything to make him happy. She would die for him if necessary. Fighting and arguing with Vegeta just might have been the best thing that ever happened to her. And there was a very good chance that she was falling in love with him.

Bulma knew that there was a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Now she knew that with Vegeta there was no difference at all. She loved him and she was in love with him. Nothing in the universe could separate them. Not even Frieza. She knew that now.

Bulma glanced at the Dragon Radar to find that the final Dragon Ball was no longer in range of the sensors. But that was impossible. Frieza had been so close before. He couldn't have moved that fast. And then again, why would he have turned around when she was his target?

"Frieza!" she called. "Come out here! I know you're there! I'm not afraid of you!" Bulma screamed for a response, the paper in her hand digging into her skin as her knuckles turned white with the pressure of her formed fists. She felt like an idiot when there was no response whatsoever. Maybe Frieza hadn't been headed towards her at all. Maybe the Dragon Ball was with a bird who didn't even have a target. Bulma extended the Radar to check how far away it was now, but it was nowhere. She extended it to a three hundred mile radius and there was still no signal from it. It was as if the Dragon Ball had disappeared off the face of the planet.

She shook the Radar. Maybe her device was malfunctioning. But it still told her where she was, so there couldn't be anything wrong with it.

"Come on," Bulma said softly, whacking it with the inside of her palm a couple times. "Work, will you? Come on, don't fail me now."

A rustle in the bushes behind her made her jump. She whipped around, but found no one behind her. Her heart began to pick up its pace, but she successfully calmed herself down. _It must have been the wind_ , she thought reassuringly. But another noise to her left made her turn so hard that she got a head rush. Shock from the noise and the pain rushing up her neck, she dropped the Radar in a pile of leaves directly in front of her feet. When the head rush faded, Bulma could feel the stinging of the cuts in her legs from the thorns a bit more clearly. She bent down to retrieve the Radar, but stayed down, unmoving, when another noise, louder this time, came from a few feet in front of her. She didn't dare lift her head.

But then she remembered her plan and gripped the Radar tightly and felt to make sure the paper in her left hand was still with her. She shoved her shoulders back proudly and stood up straight to confront the evil tyrant who was ever so slowly ruining her life. But what she saw wasn't the familiar face of the perverted lizard-like freak. It was the unfamiliar face of someone she'd never met before. He wore a smirk that told her that he was no less dangerous to and Earthling such as herself.

But she instantly noticed the Dragon Ball in the unfamiliar man's left hand. He was holding it up for her to see. When he opened his mouth to speak, Bulma couldn't repress the shudder that forced its way up her spine.

"I believe you want this," he said. It wasn't a question. "But I do regret being here. It appears that you were expecting Master Frieza. And I'm also sorry that your little machine there isn't working. It had nothing to do with me. Although it did give me the element of surprise… You were surprised, weren't you?" he asked, and Bulma could have sensed a threat in the man's voice.

"What do you want?" Bulma asked, horrified when her voice came out as barely a hoarse whisper. The man let out a sharp laugh that could have cut through her entire being.

"Haven't you figured that out yet, little girl? Master Frieza wants to take Vegeta and his good-for-nothing mate, meaning _you_ , and perform a little experiment on you two." Bulma froze, trying to focus on her plan. But it wouldn't come to her. She didn't even know what to do first. She could barely remember why she had come up with a plan in the first place. "You see, Master Frieza is sick and tired of the Saiyan race. And, seeing as Vegeta is the last of those pests, he wants him dead. But he wasn't just going to kill him. That's why he's making this experiment. He knows that Vegeta has a lot of power, and all Master Frieza wants is a good fight. So, he allowed you to come into the prince's life and become something of value to him. Something that would make him put up more of a fight if you were ever in danger. You know what I mean, little girl? He just knew that Vegeta wouldn't be able to resist such a prize. I can barely resist you myself at the moment," he snickered. Bulma hoped that Frieza had asked for her undamaged and _untouched_.

"So, what?" she asked, trying to be defiant against a man she knew was much more powerful than her. She knew he could kill her with a simple flick of his hand if he so desired. "Frieza sent you to do his dirty work for him? You must not be that important then, right? He knows that Vegeta will come here and kill you before you get the chance to take me away."

"First of all, I'd like to make something clear to you. Frieza sent me because I'm the most powerful man he's got. I'm _Captain Ginyu_. Everyone else his majesty sent to retrieve you two lost causes _failed_ , so he sent me this time because he knows that I _can't_ fail. I _won't_ fail Master Frieza. I've never done such a thing and I never plan to, little girl. And the other thing I wanted to tell you, just to get it out of your tiny brain that you'll be rescued by your Prince Charming, is that Vegeta is on his way here right now."

Bulma's heart did a backflip. That was great news. This goofball wasn't going to take her anywhere. And at the sound of him insulting her brain size, the memory of her plan surged back to her. If Vegeta was almost here, then he would be able to take care of Captain _Stupid_ while she made the wish to rid themselves of Frieza once and for all.

Instantly, she lunged for Ginyu's left hand, but the only thing she came in contact with was the ground. Dirt entered her mouth and she coughed, accidentally breathing it into her lungs. A beefy hand gripped the back over her shirt and lifted her back up, onto her feet.

"You didn't honestly think that you were faster than me, did you, little girl?" he asked, clearly amused with her failed attempt. "You really want this thing, don't you?" He lifted the Dragon Ball up so he could analyze it in the sunlight. "What does it do?" he asked curiously. "I only found it on my way here. And lucky me, it turned out to be something you were _looking_ for. How coincidental, don't you think?"

"How about you give it to me and I'll show you what it does," Bulma said, turning to face him, her head held high. Ginyu let out another sharp laugh as he looked her up and down.

"How about you brush yourself off? You can't be full of dirt like that if you want to see Master Frieza. Clean yourself up, little girl, or I'll have to do it for you." He took a step closer and Bulma started, taking a long step backwards. "Don't be like that. I'm under strict orders not to rape you until Frieza has had his fun with you and decides that I can have you as my delicious reward for obeying his orders."

Bulma's eyes went wide with fear. If she had been afraid of this man before, she was even more afraid of him now. And what was worse; she no longer had her plan. What had she been thinking? She was only a human. She couldn't get something away from someone as powerful as Frieza. She should have known that, especially after spending so much time with a Saiyan Prince. She felt so stupid for her careless mistake.

"Do you want to see what it does or not?" Bulma asked, trying a different approach to her sticky situation. She made up her mind that the only Plan B she had was wasting time until Vegeta arrived to save her yet again. She did feel bad about not being able to do something so monumentally important, but it wasn't who did it that mattered. It was getting rid of Frieza that counted. She didn't care which one of them did it anymore. All she wanted was for this nightmare to be over.

"But you didn't let me finish before. Remember when I said that Vegeta was on his way here right now? Well, I wasn't exactly _lying_ , but he's pretty far away. The point I had been trying to make was that he'll never make it here in time to save you."

"Save me?" Bulma asked. She had meant for the question to come out as more of an inquiry as to what he was referring to, but she cursed herself when it sounded more like a plea for him to spare her life and let her go free without a fuss from either of them.

"Well, Master Frieza gave me one exception, which is actually quite strange. He told me that if I found you and Vegeta together on this wonderful planet of yours, then I was to weaken Vegeta and bring you both back to my ship for transportation to Master Frieza's vessel. But he also told me that if you were somewhere far away from Vegeta, then I had permission to kill you quickly. His reasoning was that if Vegeta truly cared about you, then he wouldn't let you out of his sight. I believe that to be true. So did Master Frieza. I believe he said that if Vegeta didn't care about you enough to be with you in case you were in trouble, then he wasn't worth Frieza's time. I think he needed Prince Vegeta to be so infatuated with his _little Earthling female_ that he would become more powerful because of her, meaning _you_. Since that obviously isn't the case here, my lovely exception has been met. Wouldn't you agree, little girl?"

Bulma was speechless. This couldn't be happening. How could this be happening? Vegeta couldn't be that far away. She could still waste time so he could get here faster. But Ginyu's words had cut deep. Of course Vegeta cared about her. He had told her to go get the Dragon Balls. It wasn't as if he left her unprotected on purpose… was it?

 _No_ , she couldn't think that way. If he didn't care about her, then he wouldn't be coming for her right now, as Ginyu said he was. But that meant that he just didn't care about her _enough_. Or as much as Frieza thought he would… But he still cared for her…

"It appears that the bait has fallen for the fishy, doesn't it?" Ginyu asked rhetorically, taking a few steps forward until his chest was only a couple of inches away from Bulma's face. She looked up at him in silent fear. He was a good foot taller than her. He was extremely intimidating. She tightly gripped the piece of paper in her left hand, feeling that if she closed her fist any tighter, it would surely cut through her skin. "But it also appears that the fishy was so focused on the bait, that he forgot all about the shark," Ginyu added, smirking like the devil himself would do.

Bulma tried to focus herself. All she had to do was stall time. "Are you the shark?" she stuttered helplessly.

"Of course not. Master Frieza is the shark. I'm just here to help him accomplish his goals and to be rewarded for my actions with tasty treats like you."

"I thought you were about to kill me." It was the wrong thing to say.

"Well, of course. But I think I'll make you suffer first, little girl. What do you have to say to that?"

Bulma was left speechless once more, and she cursed herself for being so weak. Her legs were beginning to tremble.

"Is there anything I could do," she asked, sounding more and more like a sick and cornered animal, "so you would just make it quick?"

"Eager to die, are we?" Ginyu asked mockingly. "What's the matter? Do you fear death, little girl?"

"That's not my name," Bulma said, trying to waste time again. "I'm Bulma Briefs of Capsule Corporation."

"Well then, Bulma Briefs of Capsule Corporation," he smiled horridly, lifting an arm and grabbing her shoulder with his beefy hand. Bulma felt her eyes tear up as his fingers dug into her skin. Her entire body was shaking now. "I hope you weren't expecting me to give you a quick death just because you asked nicely—"

"Wait!" she cried, thinking of another way out of this. It was a desperate move, but it was all she had left. She just hoped that Vegeta would get here before she had to go through with it. "I can give you anything you want. Anything in the entire universe. Power. Money. Even immortality!"

"You are desperate, aren't you?" Ginyu asked, releasing her shoulder and taking a small step back. Bulma mentally let out a relieved sigh. "But how is it that you can do such a thing? Don't be upset about this, but I don't exactly believe you when you say you can just give me immortality."

"But I can't do it alone," Bulma said. She could feel bead of sweat on her forehead beginning to drip along with her anxiety. "That's what the Dragon Balls do. That's why I wanted that one that you're holding. If you have all seven, the Eternal Dragon grants one wish for you. It can give you anything you want, including immortality. I have six and you have one. That makes seven. So if I gave you mine, then you could have whatever you wanted."

"You're such a fool, Bulma Briefs of Capsule Corporation. What makes you think that I won't just take them away from you now and kill you slowly anyway?"

"Because there's trick to getting your wish granted, and I'll only tell you if you promise to let me go. You won't have it any other way."

"And what makes you think that I will keep my promise?" he asked, amused with the new game she was presenting to him.

"How will you know if I give you the right information?" she replied with a question and Ginyu folded his arms.

"I see," he said in thought. "So you want me to trust you, but in return you need me to not break my word. Seems a little tricky. I could still deceive you, you know."

"I guess I have to hope that you won't then, right?"

"I don't think so. I'm not prepared to risk my own neck just on something that you say is true. If I don't do exactly as Master Frieza instructed of me, then he'll kill me anyway. So… I have a different proposal for you. You tell me what I need to know and then I'll kill you quickly, instead of making you suffer. How about that offer? Sounds enticing, hmm?"

 _Vegeta, where are you?_ Bulma thought wildly. If Ginyu could really tell how far away Vegeta was from their position, then his lack of worry made her feel abysmal about her own fate.

"I don't think I want to die for you to gain immortality. If I'm going to die anyway, then you can't have what you want," she said boldly, folding her arms and looking him straight in the eye. It took a lot of effort to not look away from his hungry eyes.

"Well, then maybe I can convince you otherwise," he said, taking a step forward and gripping her shoulder once again, this time ripping through her skin with his sharp nails. Bulma let out a yelp and tried to pull away, but Ginyu's claws were too deep. She cried out as she felt them scrape against her fragile collarbone. "I bet it would hurt if this broke," he said, running his nail along her collarbone and adding pressure. Bulma let out a scream. "I'll make all your fears go away, Bulma Briefs of Capsule Corporation. All you have to do is tell me how to gain immortality. Just one little instruction for me and I'll let you go in peace. You won't even feel a thing. You can trust me. Don't you know that?" his voice sounded soft and gentle, but Bulma could hear the snake-like tone beneath his charade.

"I won't tell you unless you let me go!" Bulma cried.

"Wrong answer!" All the softness and gentleness gone from his voice, Captain Ginyu shoved his nail down farther. Bulma heard the snap as her collarbone shattered. But all she could register was the bloodcurdling scream emanating from between her own parted lips. "Tell me how to get immortality!" Ginyu commanded, grabbing her other shoulder with his other hand and digging his nails in deep until he scraped against her other collarbone.

"You're going to kill me anyway!" Bulma screamed, tears flowing down her face like a waterfall. The only thought in her mind was of Vegeta. Why wasn't he here by now? How could he let this happen to her? He didn't care for her as much as she thought he did. That was her only explanation. There was nothing else in her life to live for. Suddenly, she _wanted_ to die. She didn't want to live without his love. She didn't want to live without his heart. _All of it_. If she didn't have it by now, then there was nothing else for her to live for.

Bulma lifted her head, doing her best to fight off the pain enough to speak. "I'll tell you," she whimpered through pain and tears. Ginyu instantly let her go and her knees buckled beneath her. Ginyu caught her and cradled her in his arms. Bulma didn't want to be touched by him, but she knew it would all be over soon enough.

"But…" Bulma said, and a look of annoyance took its place of Ginyu's face, "I want something else."

"What is it now?" he asked, infuriated by her change of subject.

"You have to promise not to… hurt Vegeta. Let him go. Tell Frieza… that he wasn't on this planet and that you shouldn't even bother… looking for him… because it's pointless. Tell Frieza that."

"You're kidding me, right? Frieza will kill me as soon as he sees that I've returned without the Saiyan Prince. Are you really that naïve?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, and Bulma knew that Ginyu was fully prepared to inflict more damage upon her if she tried to worm her way out of the situation with trick and deceit.

"No… He can't. Frieza _won't_ be able to kill you… if you have immortality…, remember?" Bulma forced a painful smile at her little triumph.

"You really are a pathetic sight, you know that, little girl? You'd give up your own pathetic life for a guy that doesn't care enough about you to even stay at your side when you need him the most." Ginyu laid Bulma down on the ground and stood, towering over her. "It's not like he would have made much of a difference. It's not like he could have stopped me anyway. I have an ability that you wouldn't be able to even begin to imagine." Ginyu paused to think something over before continuing. "You just saved his neck… Well, not _yet_. First you have to tell me how to get my wish granted. I'm just a little shocked at how much he's affected you. It's not what I expected, to say the least. And it doesn't appear that you've even mated with him… hmm, it's a mystery indeed."

Bulma watched his eager eyes on her darting back and forth over her bloodied shoulders, her petite form and her frightened features.

"Go in my backpack," Bulma ordered, wanting him to focus on something other than her.

Ginyu flipped her over with no consideration for her shattered collarbone and torn-up shoulders. Bulma let out a shout of pain at the collision with the ground, but Captain Ginyu didn't seem to care about her well-being anymore. He was getting what he wanted now. He didn't care about anything but himself.

"Are these them?" he asked, and Bulma didn't need to try and turn her head to see. She could see the glow of the Dragon Ball in his hand. All seven were together at last.

"Yes. That's them. Now, you're doing this after you kill me, got it?" she asked, coughing a few times from more inhales dirt.

"Yeah, whatever, little girl. Just tell me how to get my wish. I want immortality."

Bulma mentally smiled at her new triumph. "Now the myth of the Dragon… is just that: a _myth_. It's the actual Dragon Balls… that grant your wish. You have to choose your words carefully… because they like to screw up on purpose with the wishes that the Dragon Balls grant." Bulma had to pause to take in a few painful breaths before continuing. "And to activate their powers, you have to say something to unlock it. That's the trick that I told you about."

"What is it!" Ginyu bellowed. "Tell me now!"

"You have to keep your end of the bargain," Bulma said.

"Yeah, yeah. Your precious prince is going to be safe. And trust me, as soon as the words exit your mouth, I'm going to rid myself of your annoyance. That's something you can be absolutely sure of, little girl!"

"You have to say, " _Seven legendary Dragon Balls, please prepare to grant my wish. Let your unmistakable power come forward and give me my heart's desire_." That's it."

In the next second, Bulma gasped as a hand sliced into her stomach. She felt the warm blood flow.


	34. Lost Causes

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Lost Causes**

"Go in my backpack," Bulma said, the sweat on her forehead increasing with the mix of terror and pain she was feeling. She was about to die, and it was painfully obvious. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Part of her no longer wanted to live. She was happy that it was going to end quickly, instead of the way she had imagined. At least she wasn't in Frieza's greedy little hands. It was better this way, she kept telling herself. She couldn't tell if she believed it or not.

Ginyu walked proudly over to her pack, following her directions. He no longer cared what happened to her either. He was getting what he wanted now. He didn't care about anything but himself and his pointless immortality. After all, what did a man like that need eternal life for? To torture others? To make them suffer like he was making her suffer?

"Are these them?" he asked, and Bulma didn't need to try and turn her head to see. She could see the glow of the Dragon Ball in his hand from out of the corner of her eyes. All seven were together at last, and their glow proved it. It seemed to hold all of Ginyu's attention.

"Yes. That's them. Now, you're doing this _after_ you kill me, got it?" she asked, coughing a few times from more inhales of dirt. Her face in the ground bothered her, but it wasn't enough for her to actually care. Her life was over anyway.

"Yeah, whatever, little girl. Just tell me how to get my wish. I want immortality." He laid a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her, but Bulma knew better. It was a haughty touch, an arrogant act of triumph. He wasn't even looking her way. The Dragon Balls were silently calling all his attention to themselves.

Bulma mentally smiled at her new victory. She was going to win this little war before she left her body. Captain Ginyu was too focused on what he wanted that he failed to realize anything else around him. His surroundings were a blur to him as long as his main focus was in front of him. It was as if the shining Dragon Balls were mesmerizing to him. Bulma wished she could stall for more time, in case Vegeta was near to them, but she was covering him before she was gone. She had made Ginyu promise that much, and he was too distracted to deny her wish.

"Now the myth of the Dragon… is just that: a myth. It's the actual Dragon Balls… that grant your wish. You have to choose your words carefully… because they like to screw up on purpose with the wishes that the Dragon Balls grant." Bulma had to pause to take in a few painful breaths before continuing. "And to activate their powers, you have to say something to unlock it. That's the trick that I told you about."

"What is it!" Ginyu bellowed. "Tell me now!"

"You have to keep your end of the bargain," Bulma said. He wasn't thinking things through. This was her final advantage.

"Yeah, yeah. Your precious prince is going to be safe. And trust me, as soon as the words exit your mouth, I'm going to rid myself of your annoyance. That's something you can be absolutely sure of, little girl!" There was something she could be emptily satisfied with. It was all going to be over very soon.

"You have to say, " _Seven legendary Dragon Balls, please prepare to grant my wish. Let your unmistakable power come forward and give me my heart's desire_." That's it."

In the next second, Ginyu was above her. He slid his arm back, his elbow pointing up into the air, his back arched with the stress on his shoulder blade, and then he brought it down with a mighty force. His vertical hand came down at her stomach. Bulma watched in slow motion as it collided with her shirt, tearing through it as is reached her skin. His hand pierced through her like a knife, but it was as if she couldn't feel a thing. She was at peace. She had known this was coming all along. She had anticipated it. It was nothing unexpected.

Bulma took her last seconds of life to look around at the trees. Everything was moving so slowly. She could feel herself slipping away as easily as the warm blood oozed out of the fresh wound inflicted in her gut. It was painful, yes, but she hadn't expected Ginyu to be nice enough to actually do something like snapping her neck or breaking her back over his knee. A large wound seemed more like his style, in her point of view. His promise meant nothing to her. But still, he would find out that she had won this war soon enough. She just wished she would last long enough to witness it. She knew it was a false hope.

But then, as she watched the trees above her grow dimmer and dimmer as her eyelids slid shut, the hand ripping her stomach apart was jerked in a way that didn't seem natural. It hurt more than the wound should have if he had been trying to kill her swiftly. Yet the movement seemed unexpected, even to Ginyu. And even worse, she could still feel the increasing pain. She wasn't going to die as quickly as she had hoped. She wished she could have known better. Ginyu was such a bastard…

But she continued smiling, feeling the comfort of the crumpled paper in her lightly clenched hand.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Was he too late? He passed a space pod, lying on the ground. It appeared to be one of Frieza's Saiyan designs. What a mockery he had made of the Saiyan race. He could also smell that this was Ginyu's space pod. Once again, he thought, was it too late?

He could smell the fresh scent of blood coming from her direction. Knowing very well that his woman inflicting damage on Ginyu was absurd, he was glad he was so close to them now. But as he flew past trees and slammed into others, splitting them in half as he charged, he came to an opening in the dense woods.

What he saw made his eyes pop in horror.

He could feel the panic making him move faster through the short distance, but his speed never slowed as he got closer. The purple bastard was over his mate, and rusty blood hung in the air like death itself. He was going to make his speed his second advantage. His first was the lucky element of surprise. He would have never guessed that his aqua-haired beauty could distract the bastard to such an extent. But the sight of her… It terrified him like nothing else in the world.

Using his momentum, he crashed headfirst into Ginyu, knocking him sprawling onto the ground and giving himself a second to compose himself and prepare to annihilate the threat. As Vegeta tumbled in the dirt, he took his second to not only prepare, but glance over at his mate.

What had been one second before turned into five as he stood frozen, staring at her limp form on the ground not too far away. Her eyes were shut, making his wide with anxiety. He could still feel her energy, but it wasn't much. She was badly hurt, and he frightfully questioned whether or not she would survive.

Seeing his brand new opportunity to strike, Ginyu leapt from the ground and collided with the Saiyan Prince, throwing him into a nearby tree. He heard something snap, and laughed triumphantly. But when Vegeta lifted his head in heated rage, staring out at him from under his eyebrows in unrestrained fury, Ginyu's expression faltered and became as serious as it was deadly. This was now a matter of life or death. He knew Vegeta was going to do his best to kill him, and Vegeta knew that Ginyu was going to protect himself with offensive-based attacks. Not to mention that his mate needed immediate attention…

Or she would die.

The tree behind Vegeta creaked loudly as it tumbled towards the ground behind him, revealing what the snapping noise had been before. Its leaves caught on other trees and branches snapped under its falling weight. As it hit the ground, it bounced only once, ever so slightly, and then remained still, the quiet eerily returning.

Vegeta took off, flying towards Ginyu as fast as his body would allow him to. If there was any hope for his mate, he was going to find it and use it as quickly as he could manage. Ginyu was only an obstacle that required an immediate removal.

On the other hand, Ginyu wasn't worried. Vegeta's level of speed and strength were no match for him. If Vegeta could beat him, then his name would be _Captain_ Vegeta. The simple fact that Frieza put Ginyu in charge of his most elite team signified that Vegeta was weaker than him. It was the only logical explanation. And besides, if he could so easily get taken down by henchmen like Dodoria, then Vegeta was no match for him. Back when Frieza had the filthy monkey under his firm control, Vegeta was nothing but a pawn in Master Frieza's ever-present game of chess. Ginyu was a knight. His team and he had been Frieza's most valuable players. He didn't easily accept their losses. But Vegeta, a simple pawn on the playing field, was nothing more than a humble accessory.

Yet they had something in common. They were warriors. They would do anything to win the game. Ginyu knew very well that Vegeta didn't have to be stronger than him to beat him. As a result, being merciless was the only way to win. A kind heart and compassion were no friends to either of them. They both had their goals. And the end result may be different between them, but how they were going to reach their ends were one in the same.

But to play in the game, you had to be part of the game.

Ginyu dodged Vegeta's head-on assault with speed that couldn't be matched by the Saiyan Prince. Ginyu smiled. There was no way for the monkey to come out on top. He was going to pay dearly for what he had made of his beloved Ginyu Force.

Gurd. Recoome. Jiece. Burter. Oh yes, Vegeta was going to pay indeed.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me, Vegeta," he said with a laugh. "But don't give up right away. You're just too much fun."

"You want to see better, Ginyu?" Vegeta snarled, stopping his momentum with a hand on the ground. His white gloves were already covered in dirt and he hadn't even landed a hit. It looked as if his tackle beforehand had done nothing but take the purple bastard by surprise. There wasn't a scratch on him. "I'll show you _better_!"

Vegeta charged once more, but this time he came to a sudden halt in front of Ginyu, throwing a punch at his face. Ginyu dodged it with a tilt of his neck and Vegeta threw another punch. What was supposed to be a direct hit turned into a one-sided volley of punches from Vegeta. Ginyu couldn't believe his own abilities sometimes. He even laughed mockingly at Vegeta as he dodged the attempted smashes aimed at his face. Vegeta let out a loud growl as he tried to punch even faster.

Ginyu grabbed one of his fists in his big, meaty hand. Vegeta stopped, his breathing slow and controlled from his own effort as he prepared to defend himself. He put his other hand up to his neck. If Ginyu went for either his head or his stomach, he would be able to block it.

"You know, Vegeta. I never thought you were one to hold out on me," Ginyu said, releasing Vegeta's fist. "I would have thought you would want to save that Earthling over there. But even if you managed to fend me off for a while, she's hopeless. I gutted her myself," he laughed. "But still, I told you this was going to be fun. But if you're not going to show me your true power, then this isn't going to be very fun at all."

Vegeta smirked, placing both his hands back at his sides. "Eager to die, are you Ginyu?"

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," he said, bending down into a fighting position. Vegeta continued to stand where he was, the smirk on his face never faltering.

"I'm surprised you're not going to dance with me or something," he said mockingly, the sarcasm dripping off his tongue. Ginyu spat to the side to show that he didn't appreciate the comment.

"Although I value the magnificent opportunity to showcase my fabulous poses, I believe that now is the time to fight. You don't deserve to see what I have to offer you anyway. So, instead, I'm just going to kill you."

Vegeta bent into his fighting position, taking the threat seriously. All this talk would be meaningless once the fight began. There would be no joking then.

He couldn't help but glance over at his woman in the time he knew he had to notice his surroundings. Her eyes were still closed, but her energy signal was still there, as faint as it was. She looked to be unconscious, but he knew she wasn't. And judging by her wound, he guessed she was in a large amount of pain as well. What had he been thinking, holding out on Ginyu before? He had to get her to safety. He had to finish this _now_.

"Prepare to see the full extent of my grandeur in battle, little Saiyan monkey, because now it's time to die!" Ginyu yelled, making the first move as he lurched forward, closing the few feet between them. With his speed, to an Earthling's eye, it would have seemed that Captain Ginyu became invisible, but Vegeta could see every inch he closed in the gap to him.

Landing a punch on the side of Vegeta's face, the Saiyan Prince backed up a few steps to regain his composure and quadruple his power level in that instant. It wasn't yet enough. He'd still have to have more time to power up, but it was all he could do as he began to dodge more of Ginyu's punches as he swung at him. An unexpected elbow came crashing onto his shoulder before he had time to dodge or block the attack. Vegeta was hit up off the ground by the force of the blow and he flew by a tree, knowing that if he didn't watch himself, one small mistake might cause the wrong ending for this battle.

He recovered his self-control quickly and landed on his feet. He looked up from the ground but Ginyu wasn't there.

"I'm over here," he said softly, and Vegeta suddenly spun around, only to be met with an oncoming leg towards his middle. He reached out his hands and grabbed the rapid kick. "Huh?" Ginyu said, not expecting to be caught, literally.

Vegeta pulled on his leg until his other leg came out from underneath him. Ginyu fell backwards, his head hitting the leaf-cushioned ground with a thump. He kicked at Vegeta with his free leg, forcing him to let go to dodge the attack. Vegeta jumped backwards and then looked up. Ginyu wasn't there again.

Expecting the attack, Vegeta ducked as Ginyu's hand sliced through the air over his head from behind. He then through his right elbow behind him and felt the crunching collision as his blow met with Ginyu's unblocked face. Vegeta then spun and threw a few more punches, but they were dodged. He back flipped through the air and landed a safe distance away as he watched Ginyu clutch at his nose.

"I-I think it's broken!" he whined and Vegeta almost rolled his eyes. "What have you done to my beautiful face! How dare you break my perfect nose! How can I pose for Master Frieza with a crooked nose?!"

"Really, Ginyu," Vegeta mocked, "I think I managed to fix something there. It looks much less ugly now." He shrugged. "I mean, in comparison to what it was before."

"How… How dare you, monkey!" he bellowed, his rage clearly written all over his face. Vegeta folded his arms as he chuckled.

Ginyu let out a heated roar as he returned to his previous offensive methods of attack. Charging forward at Vegeta, he made a move to kick, but Vegeta quickly unfolded his arms and deflected the kick off to the side with an open palm. Ginyu yelled as he lost his balance, floating in the air above to keep himself from falling face-first into the dirt.

"Don't play with me, Vegeta!" he angrily called, setting himself back down on the ground.

"Oh, but it's so much fun," Vegeta said softly, folding his arms across his chest again, as if to show that Ginyu was too weak for him to put any effort into the battle. An insult like that to a warrior was as low as you could go. Verbal assaults never matched that kind of insult. Vegeta knew from many experiences with Frieza and his putrid henchmen. He knew what ticked him off the most, and he was going to that to his advantage. Maybe being tortured and beaten for most of his life was about to come in handy as well.

Ginyu let out a battle cry at Vegeta's torturous call as he launched himself forward, one foot extended as he prepared a flying kick. But as soon as he got close enough to land a direct hit, Vegeta disappeared.

"W-What?" he stammered, placing both feet on the ground. "Where did you go?" he called, resentment in his tone. He looked from side to side. He knew that if Vegeta could see him, that move was an instant giveaway that he was baffled by the Saiyan Prince's display of ability. He hated to admit it, but he'd never seen anyone move that fast, except for Frieza.

The area around him was quiet. There were no sounds of birds or animals scurrying around as they went about their business. There wasn't even a small gust of wind to rattle the leaves on the trees. Everything was silent and still as if they had been fighting in a painting.

Ginyu looked up in shock as he felt Vegeta's energy behind him. But as he turned, he realized that it was too late to defend himself. Vegeta landed a kick in Ginyu's side as the purple bastard turned around as a result of his hasty decision-making. Vegeta mockingly tisked him in his head for his reckless behavior on a matter such as this. This was life and death, not a game.

Ginyu flew a few yards from the impact, but continued flying along the ground as he noticed Vegeta chasing after him for another hit. Vegeta caught up and Ginyu flew faster, missing the Saiyan Prince's kick by mere inches. The ground beneath Vegeta's leg broke apart, leaving behind the imprint of his attack. He quickly regained himself and continued the chase. Ginyu was flying through the trees, dodging this way and that. Vegeta noticed, as he followed, that his woman was no longer in his sight range. He kept a watchful eye on Ginyu in case his plan was to harm her further.

Vegeta picked up his pace to find that his speed, when powered up like he was, was greater that Captain Ginyu's. He took a split second to wonder when such a change had occurred. He had missed so many days without training, and it seemed as if he was stronger than ever before. He smirked when he saw the scared look on Ginyu's face as he turned to look over his shoulder as he fled.

When Vegeta came not more than a foot away from Ginyu's back legs, he reached out. But before he managed to grab him, Ginyu hooked his arm around the nearest tree and spun around, placing him next to Vegeta as he flew by, and sending a kick towards his middle.

The hit landed and Vegeta was thrown upwards from the kick to his stomach. He couldn't stop himself as he noticed his opponent fly past him. Vegeta grunted, knowing what was to come. In the next second, his back was stopped, mid-air, with two powerfully clenched fists on his spine. He violently coughed before he was thrown back down to the ground by the strength of the pounding inflicted on his back.

Just before he hit the ground, he flipped over in the air and stopped falling, his feet pointed down to the ground not ten feet below him. That had been a close call. He had to watch himself.

He soared back up to where Ginyu appeared to be waiting for him, mimicking Vegeta's previous smirk and folded arms across his chest. When Vegeta met him in record speed, another volley of fists was thrown at incredible magnitudes and rapidity, but none of them made a direct hit. Their speeds had been matched by the other. Or so they thought.

Ginyu's shocked expression revealed that he knew he had an unexpected opening. Vegeta took his chance and landed a swift blow to Ginyu's unguarded face. The look right before his fist made contact was priceless, Vegeta thought, boosting his over-inflated ego even more.

Ginyu flew back towards the ground, setting his feet out and jumping off a tree for support as Vegeta calmly landed a goodly distance away from him. He was trying to get back to the energy signal of his aqua-haired mate. But Ginyu stood still. If the battle continued on like this…

"Oh, no!" Ginyu screamed, "I think one of my beautiful teeth is loose. Vegeta, you scoundrel! How dare you! How _dare_ you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Vegeta said, waving his hand in front of him as if there was a bug flying around his face. There wasn't. "I thought we decided that we were going to use our full power, Ginyu. What happened? Did you run out of steam already?" He let out a loud, mocking laugh that sent heart-freezing shivers up Ginyu's spine in white rage. Vegeta watched as he calmed himself down before speaking. Vegeta mentally cursed at the wind. He wished Ginyu would just attack him already.

"My, my. That was certainly a rush, Vegeta. This is a _scream_ ," he said, laughing as if he had been winning this battle all along. Vegeta couldn't help but roll his eyes, but Ginyu didn't seem to notice. "I've forgotten how much fun a real fight can be. What with your little girlfriend and all. She didn't put up much of a fight."

 _I can't let this thing drag on_ , Vegeta thought hastily at the mention of his woman. He still needed to help her, and Ginyu wasn't helping much. _I_ _have to finish this._ Now.

Ginyu fired a sudden energy blast at Vegeta and he jumped into the air to dodge it. He then flew at top speeds toward Ginyu, a fist out towards his opponent's face, and as the purple bastard put his arms in front of him to defend himself, Vegeta stretched out his other hand and tightly gripped Ginyu's left horn. He then spun him around and gripped the other black horn with his other hand. He pulled back as hard as he could, but forgetting about his defense, Ginyu elbowed him in the ribs. Vegeta coughed and let go of Ginyu's horns as he gripped his lower chest with both hands, clenching his teeth together from the startling pain.

But he couldn't stop. Not now. Not until Ginyu was gone and his woman was safe. He roundhouse-kicked Ginyu with all his might, still clutching at his throbbing ribs as he turned. Before Ginyu even hit the ground, Vegeta threw down his elbow into his stomach. Ginyu coughed up blood.

He immediately blocked the next hit, aimed for his throat, and stood. Vegeta tried to attack him once again, but he flew off, fleeing once again.

"Coward!" Vegeta screamed, taking off after him.

He followed him in a hurry, seeing as the black-horned pansy was heading straight for his mate. What would even be the purpose of harming her again? What was he planning? Could it be…

And then he spun around quickly and Vegeta knew it was coming. A light yellow aura surrounded Captain Ginyu as he held his ground.

"Change… now!" he yelled, and Vegeta dodged the beam of light that shot out from his mouth. He felt proud that his arrogance did not replace competence when it came to his fighting abilities. But the simple and sad fact was, he knew Ginyu's special move. There was no way it could work on him.

Ginyu seemed to quickly realize that and he turned and fled back in the direction of his mate once more. Now what was he doing? Vegeta pondered, picking up his pace in case the aqua-haired female needed him to defend her.

When Vegeta came into the clearing, he saw Ginyu holding his woman's Dragon Balls. Vegeta counted them and his eyes popped when he saw that all seven were together at last. She had been so close…

"Well, Vegeta," Ginyu said calmly, obviously planning to carry out his scheme in good time, "It seems that your luck has run out for you. I didn't think I'd need to do this for a tiny battle against you… But I'll give you your rightfully due credit. If not for these," he said, pointing to the Dragon Balls in his arms. He was cradling them like a baby. "Then I know I would have been done for. I don't know what kind of training you went through here on Earth, but very nice job." And then he added, "What a waste of perfectly good talent. You could have been on the Ginyu Force if only you just learned to follow Master Frieza's orders without making a fuss over them."

Vegeta cocked his head to the side. What did Ginyu want with the Dragon Balls? He couldn't make a wish. He had to know the password. Mr. Briefs had informed him of this information when they first were given the Dragon Radar. It was impossible for Ginyu the Pansy to know such a thing. Or could he…?

"Seven legendary Dragon Balls, please prepare to grant my wish," he began, and Vegeta froze. He couldn't be serious. "Let your unmistakable power come forward and give me my heart's desire!" Vegeta started running like a juggernaut. He had to stop him before it was too late. "Make me… IMMORTAL!" he screamed, throwing his arms into the air above his head.

"NOOOO!" Vegeta yelled, feeling like his lungs were going to burst. He threw his hand out at Ginyu in a slicing motion, aiming directly for his heart.

When the tips of his fingers broke through skin and revealed dark purple blood beneath the skin, Vegeta understood. The look on Ginyu's face was that of pain, fear and confusion.

It didn't work.

Vegeta reached farther, seeing his chance to finish this, and grabbed at Ginyu's heart.

And then he squeezed, feeling the warm blood-filled heart explode between his fingers before he violently pulled out his hand.

Captain Ginyu dropped dead.

Instantly, Vegeta ran over to Bulma, dropping to his knees and sliding across the ground in his rush.

"Hey," he whispered, not liking the look of her giant wound. It was no longer bleeding, but the puddle of blood below her was no joke. It suddenly hit him that she didn't have a good chance to live. But this time, it hit him hard. She could really _die_. She could truly leave him behind… "Woman, can you hear me?"

A soft sound proved that she was still there. Her fingers twitched a bit, as if she wanted to say something. Vegeta couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't _die_. He was her protector. He was her guardian angel. He couldn't fail like this.

"V…" was all Vegeta could manage to hear from here. A few other things were mumbled but he couldn't make out what it was she was saying. He guessed that the first word was his name, but that was all. He lifted her head up with a steady hand and leaned his head down, placing his ear next to her mouth.

"I can't hear you, woman," he said, forcefully and gently at the same time. He still couldn't believe this was happening. It didn't feel real. It didn't feel right.

"Vegeta," he heard, massaging her hair as he held her head in his hand. "Love you." He stopped rubbing her hair and lifted his head, staring at her. Her eyes were closed. This really couldn't be happening. Not now. Not like this.

"Stop that," he said, putting her head back down and moving to lift her into his arms. When she squirmed and made a noise that Vegeta thought was a whimper, he set her back down. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, "You need to heal somewhere. And that's _not_ here."

When she made another noise, Vegeta moved to place his ear next to her mouth again.

"I love you," she repeated, and Vegeta rolled his eyes, moving to lift her up again. She repeated her worthless squirming and Vegeta growled at her.

"Will you cut that out!" he yelled at her, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut even more than they already were.

" _No_ , Vegeta," she whispered delicately, as if she was talking to a child who had never seen people die before. How _dare_ she, he couldn't help but think. He had spent most of his life _causing_ the deaths of others. Death didn't even faze him…

The effort to talk louder than an inaudible whisper seemed to be killing her, Vegeta thought. He then pushed the thoughts aside. He hadn't meant it the way it came out.

"No, _what_?" he yelled, self-consciously softer than last time. "You need to get to one of those stupid hospitals, woman! Don't argue with me!"

He snorted when he saw her smile. It didn't mean that she was agreeing with him, he deduced.

"What's that for?" he asked with a snort of displeasure.

"I love you," she repeated once again.

"Why do you keep saying that?" he snarled, not liking her tone. Her smiled got wider and he lifted an eyebrow in annoyance. He moved to pick her up again, but her hand managed to move in front of him. She placed her open palm on his chest, but lost the effort as her hand slid back down to the ground and her head rolled to one side. "Woman!" he called, turning her to face him again. Her eyes still weren't open. She kept them closed, as if she didn't want to look at him. She lifted a finger to show that she was still there, but Vegeta knew her point about not leaving. She knew she was going to die…

He could do nothing to stop it, but she was still there. She wasn't gone yet. He wouldn't show her weakness, but he couldn't help but feel like he should say something. It was on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come off. It was remorsefully stuck there with no hope of it coming off anytime soon. So he racked his brain for something else he could say. It seemed like the only thing he could do, so he had to do it, and quickly.

As he watched her while he thought for a moment, she mouthed the words "I love you" again. He continued to roll his eyes at the statement. She then mouthed the words "I'm sorry" and he felt like slapping her.

"Don't be stupid, woman," he said quietly. He wanted to tell her that she shouldn't be sorry for dying, but it wouldn't come out without his throat clogging up at the first syllable.

And then Bulma's face lit up. Even her eyes opened to reveal a sliver of her eye as she looked up at him. "Dragon" she mouthed to him and Vegeta jumped up. He ripped the Dragon Balls from Ginyu's dead grasp and came back over to his woman. He placed them down on the ground and froze. What was it he was feeling? It felt like something bad. He whipped his head around to face Bulma and stared in horror. It wasn't what he had been feeling. It was what he _hadn't_ been feeling. What he could no longer feel.

It was her energy… She was gone.

"Bulma…" he said, but stopped himself before he dared to continue. _No_. He wasn't going to do that.

He quickly looked away and stood. It was true, he had caused many deaths. The deaths of others never fazed him. He looked over at the Dragon Balls. He couldn't even make a wish to bring her back. He didn't know the password. Neither did his woman's parents… No one did.

Vegeta didn't know what to think. He didn't know if thinking was possible anymore. He felt like a lost child, without any clue on how to get back home.

His first emotional response was anger. How could she die? How could she leave him behind like that? She didn't care about him. She cared only for herself.

The anger didn't last for long, because he knew it was easily misplaced. Nothing was her fault. Especially this. It was Ginyu's fault for hurting her. It was Frieza's fault for sending his henchmen to do his dirty work. It was his fault for not protecting her and staying by her side the way he should have. This was not her fault. His anger was pointed towards the people responsible: Ginyu, Frieza and himself. But Ginyu was gone. So all that remained to blame were Frieza and himself.

He should have never run away with her. He should have let her go and taken the punishment he knew he was going to get someday anyway. But this… This was the most principal punishment he had ever been dealt. And it wasn't only him that had suffered.

Most of his blame was focused on Frieza. Sure, he was guilty. But he would not wrongfully take the blame for this. For _Frieza_. He would have to be out of his mind to do such a thing. But what could he do now? Frieza would probably send more men after him to track down and kill him. He didn't want to run away anymore, now that the fun was gone from it.

He thought back to why he had left her in the first place. He felt that the sacrifice was worth it for her to go off on her own while he got some training in. he would admit that his training allowed him to finish off Ginyu. He would have died otherwise. But what was the point. The sacrifice didn't seem so great anymore. He would have rather died along-side her.

But then why did he stay behind to train? He knew he wouldn't be able to make it to her in time. He had hoped…

Vegeta spent all his life pretending to be someone he _needed_ to be. It was to protect himself. It was to protect him from feeling the anguish of his father's merciless death at the hands of his new master, Frieza. He protected himself on the inside to give himself the opportunity to be able to let go once he was free of the restraints that were there, in his mind, placed there by his own hand. It became difficult for him to feel anything for fear of being hurt by everything. He hadn't wanted to show anyone weakness. It was how he managed to stay alive. He fascinated Frieza to the point that he wanted to keep him alive for his own devious plans.

But, because of those restraints, he hadn't been able to tell Bulma that he loved her before she died.

He had spent his entire life covering only for himself. Now, he realized that he had spent so much of his time trying to protect himself that he forgot that some things were more important than him. Some things should have been cherished above his own life.

Did this mean that he was afraid? Did this signify that he had truly been weak for his entire life, and _that_ was the reason Frieza kept him around? Vegeta wanted to scream. But there was nothing he could do. He had been a fool ever since the day his father died.

Vegeta exhaled, realizing that he had been holding his breath. His whole life had been a waste of time. He was unnecessary. No one needed him to survive and the only thing he was useful for was being hunted down by Frieza. That meant that the only thing he could do with the rest of his life was entertain that slimy bastard. No, he wasn't going to give that motherfucker the slightest bit of entertainment. Not for _his_ worthless life. He would rather die…

He turned on his heel and headed in the direction of Ginyu's space pod.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Zarbon paced in a small circle around the double doors leading into Frieza's main chamber. He was talking with Dodoria about something. _Probably the stupid monkey prince_ again, he thought, laughing out loud at his own private joke. No one was around to hear him anyway. He might as well enjoy his time alone if anything.

He wondered if Captain Ginyu had managed to complete his assignment yet without breaking off from his direct instructions. He doubted it. Ginyu was Frieza's Ginyu Force's leader for one reason and one reason only. And that was because he had the nastiest habit of never treading the wrong waters. He knew exactly how to get on Frieza's good side and he always was. He had something about him that Frieza always trusted above everyone else.

A part of Zarbon just wanted him to die already.

Ginyu's days of being Frieza's puppy dog would end in fire if _he_ was in charge. After all, what does it mean to be a right-hand man when your master trusts someone else more than you? Nothing. That's what it means. _He_ should have been the one to go after Vegeta and his charge first. He would have accomplished the task with efficiency that couldn't be matched. Not even by Captain Ginyu. Oh, he loathed the name. How he despised even thinking about that oversized lump of meat. How could Frieza take a liking to that guy? It was preposterous! It was insane! If there was one thing in the world he could wish for, it would be for him to have the opportunity to kill that Saiyan monkey and gain Master Frieza's trust back.

Interrupting his delicious thoughts, Zarbon jumped at the sound of a loud bang and a feeling of a very high energy source. Frieza's.

Something bad must have happened in there because Dodoria's energy signal could no longer be felt. Zarbon froze outside of the giant double doors, wondering if he was next. He didn't tremble or fear. All he did was wonder. After all, what did he have to fear? He was Master Frieza's right-hand man, was he not…?

Whatever had happened, Dodoria was dead. Zarbon could smell fresh blood, and he doubted it was Frieza's. Another thing he felt was pure anger coming from Frieza. He pondered what should be his next move. A right-hand man wouldn't just stand here while his master had something so intense on his mind. A true right-hand man would barge into that room and ask what was wrong and offer his assistance on how he could be of service to his master.

But the thought that Frieza might murder him prevented him from even moving a muscle. Maybe this was why he was no longer the most-trusted henchman to Frieza. Maybe it was because if it had been Ginyu standing out here, he would have been in that room as soon as he heard the blast. And Zarbon didn't want to be shown up by that purple, black-horned disaster. He would show him. At the cost of his life, he would show him.

"Master Frieza?" Zarbon called, gently swinging open the double doors. Frieza was standing over Dodoria. He wore a thin smile, and his eyes had a look in them that made Zarbon believe that Dodoria had dropped dead when he looked into Frieza's eyes. Although, the puddle of blood was hard to ignore…

"What do you want, Zarbon?" he asked. His voice was that of a snake's, about to deal the final blow to its wary prey. One bite and the venom would spread instantaneously. Zarbon had to force himself not to take a step back.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Luckily, his voice managed not to crack.

"No, Zarbon. Everything is not alright," he said calmly, the smile still on his lips. "It appears that Captain Ginyu has failed in his assignment."

Zarbon's heart raced. Could this be his chance? "What do you mean, sir? How can you be so sure?"

"Don't ever doubt me, Zarbon," he said, finally looking up. His smile quickly faded as if he had been insulted. Zarbon held his breath, preparing for the worst. "It seems that Ginyu's space pod has just come in. But…"

"But what, sir?" Zarbon asked. If Ginyu had failed, then did that mean…?

"He isn't in it."

"Huh? What do you mean, Master Frieza, sir? If Ginyu's pod came in, then someone has to be in it to tell it where to go!"

"Exactly, Zarbon. And if I'm so sure that Ginyu has failed, then who do you think is inside, hmm?" Zarbon froze. Could this really be? His wish was becoming reality in merely a few minutes. This was his chance. He was going to kill that stupid ape and win back his position, right under Master Frieza.

"Don't worry, sir. I will take care of the Saiyan Prince. He is no longer a concern of yours. Leave his execution to me and I will be back, all in good time." The green man turned to walk back out to door and complete what he set out to do from the beginning.

"Don't turn your back on me, Zarbon!" Frieza yelled, his voice taking on a threatening tone, "Or I'll have to execute _you_ instead!" Zarbon stopped and quickly turned around, bending down on one knee. He prepared to ask for forgiveness, but Frieza continued, and there was no way he was going to interrupt for his own sake. "I will take care of our dear little Vegeta. If you so much as lift a finger to enter my fight, I'll kill you myself. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master Frieza," Zarbon replied quickly. His plan wasn't going quite as he had expected it to. He wondered if he'd ever be trusted, now. His future didn't look bright at all. The rest of his life was like one long, black tunnel. There was nothing left for him but menial tasks assigned to lowly henchmen. He mentally sighed at his horrible luck.

"That's better. Behave yourself and you will be rewarded, Zarbon." His voice was mocking.

The green henchman wanted to roll his eyes as a proper response, but he knew better than to try to rush his inevitable destiny. He didn't even open his mouth to reply. It wasn't a good time, to say the least. Instead, he stood and stared at the floor. A look in the eye at this moment could be seen as a challenge to Frieza's authority, so he stared at an ominous stain between his feet.

"I think I will wait for our little monkey prince to arrive. It appears that it shouldn't take very long. He's already almost here. You may go outside to greet him if you wish. That, I will allow."

"Yes, of course," Zarbon replied, bowing at the waist and rushing to exit the room. He knew it would be only luck if he was supposed to leave, but to be told that he was allowed to… It must have been his lucky day. That was the only explanation for it.

Zarbon shut the double doors behind him and stood, staring down the long hallway. Master Frieza had been right, because there was Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince himself, walking towards him in plain sight. Maybe he felt that he didn't need the element of surprise. Zarbon knew that would be his last mistake. Although… if Vegeta was able to take down Captain Ginyu in such a short amount of time, then he was going to have to watch his back. One thing was for certain. He wasn't going to underestimate the monkey.

"Well, well. Look who it is." Zarbon took a commanding step forward, blocking the entrance to Frieza's main chambers. He tilted his head when there was no sound of a smart remark or some sort of insult. Vegeta didn't even look up from the floor. He just continued walking, as if he didn't even notice the threat standing right in front of him. "Hello? Anybody home?" Zarbon mocked, advancing a step to take on a threatening position, in case the message hadn't gotten across.

And that's when he saw it.

Zarbon's eyes popped. Tiny streamlets of water were running down the Saiyan Prince's face. He wasn't looking up at him to hide his shame, Zarbon realized. He was in shock. Even when he was a boy, watching his father become lunch meat for Frieza's henchmen, Vegeta never cried. Even when he was nearly knocked unconscious from Dodoria's beatings, Vegeta never cried. Even when Frieza took on his punishments for himself, just to entertain his masochistic mind, the Prince of all Saiyans _never_ cried.

"Are you… all right?" It was the stupidest thing to ask. It wasn't like he gave two shits about the Saiyan monkey. In fact, he didn't even give _one_ shit about him. It just came as such a surprise that… There were no words to describe such a fall. It was as if the entire universe crumbled. One thing was positive.

It was not something he believed that he would ever get to see in his lifetime. The thought never even crossed his mind, it was so absurd.

Vegeta didn't respond. Instead, he just walked past Zarbon and opened the double doors to Frieza's main chambers. Zarbon didn't make a move to stop him. He knew he would pay for it later on, but it couldn't have been helped.

"Vegeta?" Frieza asked, "Oh, that's right. I was expecting you," he said, smiling, "as you can only imagine. But I _am_ happy that you decided to come here instead of running away again." He stopped talking for a moment to think, watching Vegeta come to the center of the room and stop. The double doors were slowly shutting behind him, where he had come in. Zarbon was still on the other side. "By the way, where is that little charge of yours? The one I gave you to look after before you left and betrayed me. You know. You remember her, don't you?"

There was no response.

"Let's see, then. She was a tall one. Very shapely, if you don't mind me saying. Easy on the eyes, you know?" he laughed. "What else? Oh, she had beautiful blue hair and—"

"Aqua."

"Excuse me?" Frieza asked, not failing to notice the crack in the Saiyan's voice. Something was very wrong. There was no way he could have missed the tears, but there was something else about him. Something else had changed, and he wanted to find out what.

"Her hair was aqua," he repeated slowly, "Not blue."

"Well, all right then. But you didn't answer my question from before. Where is sh—"

"Bulma is dead."

Frieza paused for a moment and then continued, as if Vegeta had said nothing at all. "Well, at least Ginyu was good for something. But I would have rather had her alive instead. I would have made you watch me rape her, you know."

Vegeta's head snapped up.

"But it is such a pity. She's dead, is she? Too bad. What a beautiful loss. Don't you agree?"

There was no response again.

"What's the matter? Are you in such a rush to die that you won't answer a simple question? I thought you were more the type to go out in flames, if you know what I mean." Frieza tilted his head to the left side. "That is why you're here, isn't it?" The double doors finally came to a close as he ended his question. Zarbon was no longer there to watch them. "You're precious Earthling mate has failed to stay alive, and so you want to die? Is that it, dear Vegeta?"

No response yet again.

"I suppose that would be fitting, but you will never see her again."

Vegeta's eyes locked with Frieza's. The lizard knew he had the Prince's full attention. "After all, she was so sweet and innocent. You, on the other hand…" Vegeta looked on the verge of yet more tears. "You've killed more people that you can count, haven't you? She's gone somewhere you can never be. You will never see her again, even in death! Doesn't that bother you? Even in the slightest? How could you still want to die? Am I really making your life all that miserable? I mean, it was miserable to begin with, but still? Hahaha! You're a brainless monkey and you always _will be_ a brainless monkey!—"

"Can't we just get this over with?" Vegeta asked suddenly, cutting him off. Frieza stopped his gloating to glare.

"How dare you, boy,' he said, stepping forward to stand not two feet in front of him. "I guess I could speed things up a bit." Vegeta's eyes met the floor once again. "You always were just a waste of my time." He rose a flat hand to the air, preparing to slice, but then he let it drop back to his side. "Don't rush me, Vegeta. I still want to tell you something."

Vegeta didn't remove his eyes from the floor.

"It's about that girl I gave to you. I was being paid for her protection, you know. So, even though I was trying to get her back, you still let her die. That means that I no longer get my money. I'll think I'll make this extra painful for you because of that. After all, my intention wasn't to have her die. Stupid Ginyu. I thought I could trust him, but I guess he went overboard. And just look where it got him. Dead. Just like that putrid Earthling that you call your mate. How pathetic."

Vegeta was shaking now.

"You're just the same. You're even more pathetic. Look at yourself. Trembling like a scared little child. I would have expected such behavior when your father got himself killed, but you were weak then, too. I guess you just got weaker over the years. What a pity. And to think that I thought you could be my heir. But those days are long gone. You've made your choices, and now I'm going to send you to your grave, once and for all."

He rose his flat hand once again, preparing to deal the final blow. The blow that would end the race of the Saiyans forever. They were about to become extinct, just as Frieza had set out to do from the start.

"You really are just two lost causes, aren't you?" he asked, preparing to slice his hand across Vegeta's neck. One swipe was all he needed to bring down the entire Saiyan race. It was about to end in one fell swoop. "The prince without a planet!" he roared, bringing his hand down. "And the girl without a _future_!"

Vegeta's head snapped up. And in that instant, the small sparks that he had been feeling exploded within him. He felt the energy flow as a gust of power surged around him. His once black hair, like darkness itself, was now a shimmering gold. His once onyx eyes, deep as the sea, were now a dark shade of teal. He could feel his new power running uncontrollably through his veins.

Frieza was a dead man.

Vegeta sidestepped the oncoming slice with one fluid motion. This wasn't going to be a fight at all. This wasn't worth it. Frieza wasn't worth it. There would be no glorious ending for him. It would be quick and worthless. There was no need to have him live any longer than was necessary now.

Seeing the dramatic change, Frieza took a frightened step back. Unlike anyone else on the vessel, Frieza could sense his power level and know that he was a goner for sure. There was no one in the world who could save him now.

"What in the name of the Cold Empire have you done?!" he bellowed, mesmerized by his golden hair.

"I have done nothing in the name of your pathetic Empire, Frieza. This, I am doing in the name of the woman that I love." And then he put out his hands, palms forward, and let out a mighty roar. " _Final Flash_!"

And just like that, it was over. Frieza was no more. It was the perfect end for a monster such as him. No begging. No speeches. It was just a swift death, sure to rid the world of his monstrous deeds. No longer would the world have to fear him. No longer would anyone be forced to die at the tip of his sword.

It was over. Oh, God, it was finally over.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Vegeta had taken the space pod back to Earth after making sure that no one was going try anything. After hearing how Frieza had been taken care of so easily, no one dared to get in his way. Although Zarbon had been punished for the things he had done in the past. But the rest of the henchmen were allowed to live, as little good as it would do them to continue their worthless lives. It seemed pointless to Vegeta. Almost sickening.

What was he to do with his life without Bulma? His woman. His mate. His love. His Bulma.

And as he bent down next to her, he wondered if he should bring the body back to her parents. But, just as he lifted her lifeless form off the ground, a paper dropped from her hand.

"Hmm?" he grunted, setting her back down. He lifted the crumpled paper off the ground and opened it.

He froze.

Inside, it read, " _Eternal Dragon. By your name I summon you forth. Shenron_."

He couldn't believe his eyes. No wonder Ginyu didn't have the right password. He looked over at Bulma and smiled.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Mrs. Briefs looked up from making dinner as the doorbell rang. "Sweetheart, could you get that?" she called. But before Mr. Briefs could even get up from his comfy place on the couch, the door gently swung open and Vegeta walked inside, Bulma right behind him, their hands intertwined.

"Back already, I see," Mr. Briefs commented.

"I hope you two had a nice time out there," Mrs. Briefs said happily and Vegeta couldn't help but let out an angry laugh. These two dopes didn't know a thing about Frieza, or anything about what had happened. He guessed they'd never find out anyway. He didn't find it likely that Bulma would ever tell them. They'd die of a heart attack. It was better that way, anyway. What they don't know couldn't hurt them in this case.

Bulma snickered at the comment as Vegeta led her down the hallway to the kitchen. He stopped when she tugged on his arm.

"What is it?" he asked, turning to her. His eyes opened wide when she smirked devilishly and motioned with her head to the door to their right.

Vegeta wasn't one to argue in this matter, so he took one step towards the door, opened it in another quick motion, and in the next instant they were locked in her bedroom.

Suddenly, Bulma was in his arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked playfully.

Instead of answering her, Vegeta kissed her, pulling her hard against him. He backed them up against the wall, his body pressing against hers, the glass of the window cold on her back. His heads slid around her waist, up under her shirt. But the way he held her, she knew something about him had changed. She guessed it was a result of something that had happened while she was… gone. It was okay. She would get answers from him later. Now, there were better things to do.

Vegeta was careful, not too gentle, but not so gentle that she ever felt that she was in more control than he. Bulma laughed against his warm lips. No, it wasn't in Vegeta to allow her to feel that she had more control than he did. But still, it was clear now that neither of them could control how they felt about one another. Bulma liked that. This man in front of her was Vegeta, but he was also refined. It made her want him all the more. She enjoyed the way his heart hammered against her chest, and the way her heart hammered back. He murmured something against her mouth as she kissed him back. She paused when it sounded like he said he loved her.

"What did you say?" she asked, shocked beyond belief.

Vegeta looked at her smugly, and then replied, "It can wait." He brought her back into their kiss.

Frieza had been right. When separated, they really were just two lost causes. But they were no longer separate. They would never be. Because by each other…

They were found.


End file.
